You Never Know
by Kaybee80
Summary: Mercedes just returned to LA after her first Christmas visit back in Lima...Puck's no longer her roommate, and now she's all alone. Jesse's finally made his way back to the City of Angels; and this time he's got something to prove. Maybe they can comfort one another...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi, guys! **

***what to say, what to say* **

**Okay, here goes. So this story is the result of a prompt I got from my Tumblr homey erchills. (She writes Samcedes stories, just like I do…they're full of fluff, and good times, and hilarious conversations and sometimes I wonder if maybe she's as cray-cray as me- go check them out and leave my girl a review). And anyway, she asked me for a Jesse St. James/Mercedes Jones romantic story. Now, at first, I was honestly concerned for her sanity. I mean…who don't know I'm all about Samcedes? And in those instances where I embrace the harem and pair Mercedes up with another dude, its always one of the NDs. I had no idea how to frame the story, and honestly…no desire to search my soul for a place where I could ever like Jesse.**

**But erchills is my girl for a reason. She gets it…understands that fanfic writing is all about possibilities. So I got sick with a summer flu, slept a lot and felt like crap; and when I recovered I started brainstorming my ass off. And I have to say, some elements of this story have me completely spellbound. I liked playing around in third person narrative, I liked trying to figure out how Jesse would say things, I liked coming up with possible scenarios for possible common ground. So I guess this story is now my new baby. **

**Don't worry, though…Chapter 13 of **_**WIW**_** is about three days away from being published. I have written my Mikecedes chapter of **_**PN**_** out by hand, and only need to get it typed, and I'm also working on a prompt for ZeeJack that ought to make everybody's hair sweat. **

**This story is gonna be 2 chapters long… and I don't have any intention of continuing it. But I also never say never. I hope you guys like it, and would appreciate a little review love if you do. **

**Thank you Anni! You know Jesse is messy as hell! I had to make 'em bond over shade! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or the characters of Glee.**

* * *

**You Just Never Know**

**January 3, 2013. Los Angeles, CA**

Mercedes Jones arrived outside the door to her LA apartment, disengaged her burglar alarm, and entered her home for the first time in days. Dragging the luggage she'd just hauled halfway across the country, she simultaneously slipped out of the low heeled ankle boots she wore and closed the door. After shoving her bags out of sight and out of mind inside a nearby closet, Mercedes finally shrugged out of the fluffy red sweater and turtleneck she'd worn from Ohio and breathed a sight of relief. The ensemble, which had provided the young woman with an abundance of stylish warmth as she roamed the icy streets of Lima, was now cumbersome and awkward in balmy 77degree Los Angeles. She hung the sweater, then continued to remove sweltering layers from her exhausted frame. Once she was comfortable, the young woman spent a few minutes refamiliarizing herself with the place she'd called home for the last six months.

Mercedes reengaged her alarm system, passed through the foyer, and stopped in the middle of her tastefully appointed living room. She smiled at the tan leather sectional sofa and lounger, a belated graduation gift from her parents. Then she lightly fingered the dying petals from the bunch of red poppies that rested in her favorite vase. These flowers, which Mercedes usually replaced every week, complimented the tan and cherry red throw rug on the floor… The young woman gave them a sniff, grimaced, and turned to throw the dead blooms away. Finally Mercedes used the cable remote control to turn the television on to the R&B music channel for background noise and silently declared herself satisfied with this particular room.

Next, Mercedes crossed over into the eat-in kitchen…where she was immediately reminded of the hurry she'd been in, during her haste to arrive at the airport on time nine days earlier. Humming along with the television to the tune of Kelly _Rowland's Kisses Down Low_, she gathered the Pop Tart wrapper and coffee cup she'd left there and discarded them before repairing into the hallway.

As she passed the room where Noah Puckerman had once slept, Mercedes felt her first pangs of disappointment with her grown-up surroundings. Up until several days ago, Puck had been her roommate…They'd lived together and shared expenses on the expensive lakefront property. While Noah and Mercedes had a complicated history that included a short-lived romantic interlude and a fair amount of playful acrimony, the two friends were very well suited to living together after high school was over. Mercedes' parents had come up with a way of making sure that their daughter was taken care of while so far away, and at the same time allowed her some much needed independence. Dr. and Mrs. Jones paid roughly half the rent on the condo, which allowed a struggling Noah to live in a safe and clean environment while getting his fledgling pool-cleaning business off the ground. In exchange, he provided his high school friend with the kind of protection that a single girl in the city rarely has the opportunity to boast about. The best part of the arrangement was that the two friends had the luxury of learning the ins and outs of LA life as a team, while reminding each other daily of home.

Mercedes walked into the room and stroked the wood of the dresser that stood by the door. She opened the top drawer and viewed the contents, letting out a deep sigh. Then she walked over to the still un-made but fully sheeted bed and flopped down onto it. The room represented one more thing she would have to do.

How in the hell was it possible that Noah Puckerman, Mercedes pondered, badass of McKinley High School and the supreme derider of all things "Lima Loser," could end up back in Lima? Not that Lima, OH was a bad place to live, Mercedes allowed. But Puck had spent the last two months of high school before graduation trying to convince his friends to move with him to Los Angeles. He'd practically made a religion of coaxing his Glee-mates into coming along and sharing living expenses. How was it possible that the same guy so gung-ho on the West Coast now preferred the comfort of his high school bed? When did living at home and getting to know his little brother while working on a screenplay become more important to Puck than becoming a famous pool cleaner to the stars? And why was it all of a sudden so vital for him to engage with the aforementioned "Lima Losers," that he couldn't even be bothered to come and pick up his things? The worst part was…Mercedes suspected that Puck wanted HER to pack his things up and ship them back to him.

Baffled and frustrated, Mercedes raised an arm to her damp forehead and pondered her situation. Part of the reason, she knew, for Puck's departure was economic. He'd quite frankly made more money doing construction on film sets and scamming tourists than cleaning pools since he'd been in California. And under any other circumstances, running back to Lima, tail between legs, would have made a lot of sense. But in this particular case, Puck had options. The girl knew that her family would have been more than happy to subsidize her roommate for a short time, at the very least while he gained a bigger toehold on his finances. It would have been worth the money in the eyes of her parents, to keep the boy in the same as apartment as their daughter.

"Hell, I would have paid his half myself," Mercedes muttered to herself as she sat up and left Puck's domain so she could finally enter her own room.

Mercedes took one look at her own personal space and momentarily felt better; she welled up in pride while taking in all the changes she'd made over the last several months. When she'd arrived the room was as bare as Mother Hubbard's cupboard, with the exception of the clothes hanging in the closet. Her parents, who'd been so very willing to furnish her den and pay most of her living expenses, had surprisingly flat out refused to let Mercedes bring the furniture from her bedroom back home. If they let her do that, they had asked, where would Mercedes sleep when she visited home? She had little choice but to concede that particular point. So Mercedes and her parents discussed all of her options extensively before she left Ohio. Her parents were fine with allowing Mercedes to purchase a bedroom set on the emergency credit card they'd given her, however the list of stores they deemed suitable did not work for their stylish daughter. So they compromised and purchased her a chaise lounge she'd loved from their favorite leather store, along with bedding, a rug, and window dressings. Their daughter had stubbornly declared she was fine sleeping on that.

Mercedes had no room in her life or in her first adult home for anything purchased in stores with words like "2 Go" in the title; nor was she the type of person to find anything attractive about pieces everyone else in the world could also buy. She preferred one-of-a-kind things, items that said something about her specifically. And she was willing to sacrifice the paycheck she received for her work at an independent record label to get them. She'd lovingly combed antique shops, thrift stores, estate sales, and Craigs List over the past several months and eventually found a bed frame, a chest of drawers, two night stands, and a table and desk chair that she loved. Puck had come mightily in handy towards obtaining the mattress and box spring "at cost," as he had an "acquaintance" who often found deals of that nature. And a dozen or so of her new LA friends had all chipped in to help her paint the walls a gorgeous mauve color. Now that the six months of searching was over and her room had come together, Mercedes was happy she'd stuck to her guns. It finally felt like home.

The young woman flopped down once again, this time on her own oak four poster king size bed with full canopy, so she could think more about her roommate situation. Part of Mercedes frustration, she could admit, had nothing to do with the inconvenience of having to deal with her former housemate's belongings. Like her parents, she secretly loved the idea of having a strong man around to take care of her when she needed to be taken care of. It wasn't so much that the girl fancied herself a damsel in need of a prince, but it couldn't be denied that having a man around was nice. Puck took out the garbage religiously, volunteered to do all picture hanging and light maintenance, he killed any spiders that found their way into the shower, and took a lot of pride being responsible for putting Mercedes' massive bed together. Mercedes had never cohabited with a man before, but she definitely enjoyed certain aspects of the arrangement. But more than all of that, the girl had gotten used to having a familiar presence around. Mercedes felt like she'd brought a piece of home with her to LA, and knowing Puck would be around at night made even the suckiest days much better. However, like any resilient soul stuck in an unfortunate set of circumstances, Mercedes quickly made up her mind to quit wallowing and make the most of the hand she'd been dealt.

All of a sudden, Mercedes sat up and realized for the first time that some of her discomfort wasn't related to her former roommate at all. She was hungry…There was little to no food in the refrigerator, and she wasn't looking forward to her first solo trip to the grocery store. The young diva knew that once there, she'd more than likely purchase a week's supply of "soup for one" and Hungry Man dinners, and the thought alone was pathetic. Mercedes had always been a woman who enjoyed food, but her favorite types of dishes tended to be prepackaged and processed dishes that required little in the way of actual preparation. Puck had been the one who insisted the two of them purchase fresh ingredients; he was adamant that they'd save money chopping, slicing, and grating their own food as opposed to simply heating something frozen and supplementing it with pudding or yogurt. Puck informed Mercedes early on that the best food was food they prepared themselves, and told her point blank that she wouldn't be indulging her pre-school eating habits for as long as they lived together. It was the first compromise the two had made as partners.

Well now, Mercedes no longer had any reason to compromise. She knew what her shopping list would consist of whenever she _did_ bite the bullet and go buy food, and she wanted to prolong the humiliation for as long as she could. So she made up her mind to spare a few dollars –after all, how else was she supposed to spend her Christmas gift money— on a nice meal for one in the restaurant of her own choosing. She got up, washed her face and hands, then changed into something more appropriate for LA weather. Then Mercedes left her apartment in search of her first dinner alone.

* * *

**January 3, 2013. Los Angeles, CA**

Jesse St. James got out of the yellow cab just outside his new place of residence in downtown LA. He clutched the handle of a rolling suitcase filled with interview and work appropriate clothing, a duffel bag stuffed tight with underwear and workout gear, a laptop bag filled with his computer and random office supplies, and a bottle of water. He dragged his cumbersome load up the staircase of the building, buzzed the super, and waited to be let inside. After he was admitted, Jesse searched for apartment 1A, and knocked on the door belonging to the manager of the property. Twenty-five minutes later, Jesse juggled his packages long enough to use his new key on the door to his home for the next three months.

This actually was not the first time St. James had counted himself among the legion of people who call Los Angeles home. He'd briefly inhabited the city as a college freshman two years prior, and took up residence in a UCLA dormitory. However, the young man had not exactly distinguished himself as a model student, and subsequently dropped out of higher learning. When that happened, he'd been forced to find a new place to live so that an actual student could move into his room…and what he learned about the living conditions of some LA "locals" had sent the man reeling.

His home on campus had been more than decent; clean, comfortable, furnished, and completely free of charge…courtesy of the full scholarship he'd been awarded by the school. He'd loved the neighborhood, and enjoyed taking in the nightlife and local tourist attractions. Jesse had spent a lot of time walking around the shops of the Beverly Center when he should have been in class or completing schoolwork. He'd found several random places to drink coffee and people-watch. And he often spent afternoons taking pictures with unsuspecting tourists who assumed he was famous because he told him he was. But when his lack of academic standing caused Jesse to lose said scholarship, he'd been forced to take the monthly "allowance" he got from his parents and use it to make arrangements to live elsewhere. At the time, he'd been convinced that a young, good looking and crafty young man could find something decent in his price range. However he soon realized that his "allowance" didn't allow for very much.

The West Hollywood apartment he'd moved into back then had been old, musty, and in bad repair. He'd definitely made a real attempt at living with the mice, the loud neighbors, and the increased travel expenditure (since he had no intention of giving up his weekly trips to the Hammer Museum of Art and LA National Cemetery, and they were no longer within walking distance) for as long as he could stand them. Then an unfortunate run-in with a neighborhood rough bearing a gun and demanding his rent money had left Jesse with no choice but to turn tail and go back to Ohio; just in time to squire Rachel Berry to her Junior Prom.

Now, in January of 2013, Jesse was back. His new apartment, while still a far cry from the opulence and luxury of the dormitory, was situated on the outskirts of the same Westwood neighborhood he'd once enjoyed so much. His place was small, and would remain unfurnished until he could afford to put anything in it. But Jesse could admit that he found his new surroundings infinitely better than the hovel he'd once inhabited. Jesse placed his water bottle in the empty refrigerator, crossed over to the den, and sat down on a corner of the carpeted floor to think over his new life plan.

St. James had spent the previous two years in Ohio plotting and planning his triumphant return to bright and sunny California. He'd scraped a living as both show choir consultant and music director for his former high school and hoarded his paychecks while allowing his parents to support him completely. As a result of his miserly behavior, the young man had close to twenty thousand dollars collecting interest in the bank. He knew he'd be required to spend some on room and board, and the classes necessary to continue honing his craft…especially since his parents had refused to continue supporting him once he left for Los Angeles this time around. But he'd already found a job, and knew he could live for a year relatively comfortably if he managed his money responsibly.

Jesse St. James was lot of things, both good and bad. His most defining quality was definitely his ability to be unabashedly confident; to the point of extreme cockiness. Even his shameful LA exit all those months ago did very little to shatter his overblown sense of self worth. So he felt very well-placed to live his life in California on his own terms while striving to reach the stardom he craved.

Jesse had enrolled in classes for dance, voice, and acting. He'd already touched bases with contacts he made during his brief time as a student in the school of Arts, and he'd compiled a coffee house open mike night and talent showcase schedule that bordered on way too much; all in the interest of garnering his "big break" as soon as humanly possible. Work, Jesse supposed, would more than likely cause him no inconvenience. Yes, his new job in the call center of a local utility company was full time position. But Jesse was confident in his ability to dictate the actions of others. Somewhere in his new place of employment was a woman in a position of power, Jesse reasoned. If he managed to befriend that woman and render her powerless over his charm, there was good chance he could collect a paycheck for doing very little; leaving him plenty of time to work towards his real goal. At the very least, there would definitely be an unsuspecting, probably untalented and unattractive lonely female in the pool, one that would be happy to complete work in his name...

"Hell," he said out loud in the empty apartment. "A gay guy will do in a pinch."

Jesse lay down and closed his eyes, ruminating on the new life he'd build this time around. He'd hone his craft, make the right friends, and eventually be a major triple threat. He'd turn his singing, dancing and acting into a successful stage career. Then he'd crossover into television appearances and cameos in amazing block buster films. Eventually, Hollywood big names would fight for the opportunity to produce and direct a Jesse St. James vehicle. Then, he'd return to Ohio in a blaze of glory. He was going to be the brightest of stars, and Jesse couldn't wait to start!

"What's a few years of Ramen overload compared to a lifetime of fame and fortune?" he pondered.

The mere mention of noodles made Jesse's stomach rumble uncomfortably, and he sat up and tried to remember his most recent meal. After several seconds of deep thought, Jesse decided that having to think about it so hard was probably a good indicator that it had been too long. Taking his wallet from his back pocket, the man counted the cash that lay folded there and made up his mind to treat himself to a nice dinner. He would have to sacrifice the trash can and comforter he'd set money aside for in today's budget, and those items were ones he desperately needed. But Jesse gave himself permission anyway. After all, it wasn't every day a phoenix rose from the ashes…Celebration was in order, and if anyone deserved one, it was he.

* * *

Mercedes opened the door of a small, authentic Mexican restaurant called _La Cocina_ and waited near the entrance to be seated. After requesting a booth for privacy, she ordered a water with lemon and looked over the menu briefly. Truth be told, the young woman was holding on to a lot of self pity, and resentfully reminded herself that she should probably have brought a book to read, since Puck was no longer around to eat with. After wallowing for several satisfying minutes, Mercedes thought she heard her named being called.

"_Mercedes?"_

She looked around and saw no one she recognized.

"Mercedes Jones?" A tall and handsome brunet whose voice she should have recognized anywhere materialized beside her table and startled the girl. It was Jesse St. Dick; asshole supreme of the Ohio Show Choir community! Jesse, in true pretty-boy fashion, still wore his hair in the same ultra-styled and product heavy manner as the last time Mercedes had set eyes on him. He had on a loose fitting shirt tucked into an immaculate pair of pressed and starched jeans atop a pair of white leather sneakers. Mercedes glared briefly at him because they had never gotten along in the past. However, Jesse's usual snarky smirk had been replaced by a hopeful expression that suggested he was glad to see her. Shock at the kind smile he wore caused Mercedes to melt slightly. She was almost pleased to see the familiar douchebag.

"Jesse?" She asked. "Wow…small world, huh?"

Jesse, who'd been so very ready to celebrate his grand return to the City of Angels as well as his impending good fortune in style, no longer felt so very triumphant. In the ninety minutes it had taken him to travel by bus to the familiar Mexican restaurant, he'd been smacked in the face by the only downside to his victory plan. He hadn't allowed for the very real possibility of feeling alone and isolated while he wrestled his way to the top. So he'd arrived at_ La Cocina_, been seated, had his drink order taken, and pondered his dinner order before peering dejectedly at all patrons dining around him. Then Jesse had noticed the short diva walking toward her own lonely table, looking beautiful in a tan sundress with spaghetti straps and a pair of cork wedges. So he'd jumped up and shouted her name from halfway across the room. It was only the brief expression of disgust that flitted across her lovely face that made him momentarily regret acting so impulsively.

"Yeah, it's me…" he answered warily. "Fancy meeting you here!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mercedes was hit by a fresh wave of sadness in response to knowledge that the only person in the room who knew her name hated her guts. But rather than allow tears of angst to flow freely, she choked them down by sheer force of Divatude. Visible annoyance was definitely preferable o the "pathetitude" she was currently feeling.

"Nothing, I just…"

"_Good Afternoon…Welcome to La Cosina_!" Jesse was interrupted by a short waitress who stopped just short of Mercedes' table and set down napkins, a bowl of warm tortilla chips and a carafe of homemade salsa. The waitress, who introduced herself as Maria, was an older woman…short, with a lovely olive complexion and accent. Her expression was both kind and mildly intimidating, and her body language exuded motherly authority.

"_Muy bueno_… this is very good," Maria stepped briefly around a wall, then returned bearing Jesse's water glass and coaster. She set it down most deliberately across from Mercedes. "It's the mid-day rush…and we'll be running out of tables soon. I was just about to ask the two of you if you would mind sharing a table." The woman pulled an order pad from the pocket of her apron and beamed unapologetically. "And you already know one another so this is perfect…" Maria fixed Jesse with a gaze that simultaneously called attention to the fact that he was still standing, and silently dared him to argue with her. When the young man obeyed she nodded in appreciation and proceeded to ask the two performers for their orders. Once completed, she patted Mercedes hand lightly, muttering "_si_, _muy bonita_," set down a stack of napkins, then exited to relay their orders to the kitchen.

"Am I the only one here who feels totally manhandled?" Jesse joked.

"Probably," Mercedes replied. "I actually thought she was kind of sweet…"

"Well, you would. I mean, she did just call you beautiful," he remarked, while admitting to himself that the compliment had been well-earned on Mercedes' part. "But how can she just force people into eating together and still expect to be tipped?"

"She was just doing her job, Jesse…" Mercedes replied before taking a sip of her water. Jesse's comment definitely rubbed Mercedes the wrong way; and she felt herself becoming angry again. She had interpreted his comments about forced dinner partners as Jesse's way of suggesting that she wasn't his preferred choice of company. Maria had actually reminded Mercedes of her Mom, who also had a peculiar knack for getting her way. So the sudden flash of homesickness, coupled with shame at feeling gratitude for Jesse's companionship, caused Mercedes to go on the offensive. "… Not that I'd know anything about that, of course. But Maria isn't like me;_ she's_ not a lazy slob or whatever…and she has a job to do!"

"Lazy?" Jesse was puzzled for a second before recalling that fateful day in April of 2011 when he and Mercedes had faced off over his criticism of a song performance.

Oh, dear…

The fact was, that if Maria hadn't forced Jesse to move and eat dinner with Mercedes, he would have made the suggestion himself. It was so nice to see a familiar face and hear a voice he knew…he'd_ wanted _to eat with the girl. His comments about Maria stemmed mostly from relief and lack of anything else to say. He hadn't meant t stick his foot in his mouth.

"Don't tell me you're still upset about that Mercedes...that was years ago!" Which was once again the exact wrong thing to say.

"Upset?" Mercedes fiddled with a corner of the bowl holding the tortillas and glared in Jesse's direction. "Why would I be upset? I mean, its not like a dude I barely knew rolled up into my auditorium –an auditorium that he and his former choir mates deliberately defaced the year before, I might add— and listened to my very heartfelt performance, just to respond with little more than derision. It's not like you sat there looking bored or refused to make any comment other than 'hey, big Black girl…put your back into it!' It's not like I hadn't been proud of myself for performing a song originally sung by a man and expected to impress everybody by doing justice to an old school song I love. And you shat all over it with your rude-ass comments. So why in the world would I still be upset?"

"I never said…" Jesse blustered before deciding to give as good as he'd just gotten. "And anyway, what about you?"

"What about my ass?" Mercedes challenged. The gloves had definitely come off.

"You came into my auditorium with Kurtsie Lupone last year, and tried to sabotage my Regionals standing by giving Unique a dress!" He reminded her.

"What kinda bullshit…"

"Then you used your influence on him/her and convinced him/her to leave Carmel, which my boss blamed me for!" he interrupted. "You headlined that all girls ensemble, the TroubleTones, at competition and crushed my Vocal Adrenaline team at Nationals! Which was completely unfair, since you guys already lost at Sectinsls… and Carmel High fired my ass for not winning in Chicago! I've been unemployed since May because of you!"

"What…you…I.." Mercedes blustered.

The two combatants shot stormy looks across the table, ready to continue the argument in a much less dignified manner, but were halted by Maria's return with their orders. After making sure both tabs would be kept separate, she took her leave once more. By then, though, Jesse and Mercedes had each calmed down considerably. The food smelled delicious, and tummy rumblings couldn't be ignored, after all.

"Whatever, Jesse…I guess you and I can get along well enough to eat a meal together, right? I mean it won't kill us to be polite," Mercedes offered.

Relieved, Jesse agreed. "Yeah. And the company might be nice," he admitted. Then he smirked. "Even if it is me…"

Mercedes and Jesse were both caught off guard by the fact that they both burst into genuine laugher at the same exact instant. Miraculously, the awkwardness at the table melted completely.

Jesse was all of a sudden struck by how naturally playful his dinner mate could be…Mercedes didn't just respond to the joke with a hearty chuckle, although she did do that and he appreciated it. But Jesse was warmed internally by the way she picked up a balled napkin and playfully threw it at his chest, the way her whole body shook as she allowed mirth to take over all her senses. This was something Jesse remembered fondly from the brief time he'd spent as a member of New Directions. Mercedes had always had a habit of punctuating moments of hilarity with smacks to the forearm of the person closest to her, often bending over bodily to clutch her midsection when her shouts of joy caused her stomach muscles to cramp. Mercedes never had any qualms about allowing happiness to take over her whole body, and Jesse enjoyed witnessing it more than he understood. To be perfectly honest, he longed to be on the receiving end of one of her happy squeezing hugs.

A laughing Mercedes also had a moment of recognition regarding her tablemate's laughter. She remembered, for the briefest of moments, the way he sometimes allowed laughter to completely take over his features. It wasn't something she'd seen much of, to be perfectly honest…but it was hard to forget the wide-eyed, boyishly handsome expression Jesse adopted when genuinely tickled. The last time that Mercedes had witnessed the young man abandoning his usual serious countenance was just before her Junior Prom. He and Rachel Berry, another relentlessly driven perfectionist if ever there was one, had shared a laugh while plotting out his next career move. The innocent expression he'd worn for several seconds was quite nice, in Mercedes' opinion. In fact, she hoped to see it again before they parted company.

In that small moment, where both parties felt appreciation for the company they hadn't asked for but craved, the two decided silently to let bygones be bygones. After that their shared meal was both pleasant and fun.

Over taco salad, _chimichangas_, and fajitas shared between the two, Mercedes and Jesse talked at length about LA. They compared experiences, discovered acquaintance-ships with people they knew in common, and described their hobbies and distractions from everyday life. Jesse shared his goals and plans, described his new apartment, and congratulated Mercedes on her recording contract. Mercedes went into detail about her online classload, she regaled him with stories about sharing an apartment with Puck, and sympathized with Jesse over the two years he'd lost while living in Ohio. They traded stories about their separate forays into LA nightlife, and found out that they both frequented the same Westwood cafe when they needed a break from things. Finally, the topic came around to the New Directions…and they spent the remainder of their time gossiping about people they both knew from home.

"So Mercedes, you just came back from spending winter break in Ohio, right? Did you see any of your friends from McKinley?"

"Yeah…I did. It was really nice to visit home." She replied.

"Well what about that blonde kid; the homeless guy we double-dated with for your Junior Prom. You two are together aren't you?" Jesse asked. "Did you get to spend much time together in Lima?"

Mercedes' face fell. "Actually, Sam and I weren't a couple back then…we started dating right after that. But we're not together anymore." She rolled her eyes. "Scuttlebutt says he and Brittany got fake married right before Christmas."

Jesse peered at her incredulously. "Brittany? The ditzy blonde one?"

Mercedes nodded. "That's the one…"

"Ok, look," Jesse started. "What I am about to say here is gonna sound really mean…but you know I wouldn't say it if it wasn't my true opinion. I know all you New Directions were always really tight…like family. Plus, Brittany was one of those TroubleTones, which means you and she were probably extra close. But talk about the blonde leading the blond…" Jesse jokingly referred to the shared lack of intelligence that he'd always credited to both Sam and Brittany.

Mercedes knew intellectually that she probably shouldn't have laughed at Jesse's characterization of her ex and his new lady love. It was probably cruel and definitely small of her to help make them the butt of a joke when they weren't around to defend themselves. But in that moment Mercedes honestly couldn't help herself; she laughed until her sides hurt.

"And I'm no Einstein," Jesse continued. "But some of the things those two say…"

"Haven't you ever heard the expression, 'from out of the mouths of babes?'" Mercedes chuckled. She was referring to how well-matched in super-hot looks Sam and Brittany both were.

"Oh, they're both attractive; I'll give you that…" Jesse admitted. "…but it's probably not worth the trouble if you need an idiot translator to talk to them." They shared another laugh. "Besides," Jesse went on. "Brittany doesn't have a thing on you."

Mercedes nodded her thanks across the table and beamed. "Well, what about you? Any love connections to brag about?"

"No way," Jesse answered quickly. "When I lived here before I was pretty committed to playing 'pretty boy in the city with no entanglements,' to be honest. And in Ohio I was focused on saving money to make my way back here." Mercedes nodded and Jesse went on. "Over the Christmas holiday I toyed around with the idea of looking Rachel up…I thought I'd find her and see if maybe she and I could rekindle something. But she wasn't around."

"Yeah, you might wanna give up the ghost on that one," Mercedes advised. "She and Finn are bound to make up again; at least once or twice before they die. And most of the people who try to get between those two end up with their feelings hurt…Just ask Quinn!"

Jesse chuckled. "So true. And don't worry…it was just a passing fancy."

Mercedes and Jesse sent the next hour or so nibbling on chips and salsa, sharing an order of fried ice cream, and heaping verbal abuse on their exes new lovers. Mercedes was ashamed by how hard she laughed when Jesse affected a hilariously spot on (but probably more than a little racist) Mexican accent, so that he could refer to Britt as "_Senorita Gato_." She'd had zero idea that Jesse knew about the girl's strange and unhealthy attachment to her fat cat, or that he was so good at accents…in some ways, the guy was even better than Sam. Jesse nodded and smiled appreciatively when Mercedes adopted her "Finn voice" in order to ask Maria for more water. It was a slightly dopey and hilariously ignorant-sounding tone of speaking that she'd picked up from Sam the summer before. It made both Jesse and Mercedes happy to know that they weren't the only ones harboring ill feelings towards the relationships that their former significant others had found. Although they both knew snarky impressions and lightly veiled insults were a horrible thing for two people to build a friendship and bond over, they did it anyway. Eventually Jesse and Mercedes gathered their things and prepared to leave –after making sure to give Maria an exorbitant tip- and exchanged numbers so they could keep in touch.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Jesse and Mercedes hung out quite frequently; although they never made specific arrangements for outings and activities they could enjoy. That wasn't exactly the nature of their relationship. But there were times when one or the other already had plans, and casually invited their new friend to join in. For instance, on one particular evening Mercedes had been intending to eat another meal at _LaCocina_, as she wanted to bask in Maria's motherly expressions for an hour or two…and she invited Jesse. But the young man was already committed to dance class, to which he invited her along. She went, and enjoyed herself a lot. And on another instance, Mercedes had been tapped to attend a talent contest being held in a local gymnasium with a label-mate, and at the last minute phoned Jesse to see if he would like to join her and support her coworker. These outings were always completely unplanned and occurred organically without either of the two forcing them to happen. So their friendship grew naturally and quickly.

During this time the two learned much about each other; they each developed an appreciation for traits that the other had in spades but they themselves could not boast. Jesse, for example, was often struck down by how dedicated Mercedes could be. No stranger to working towards his own goals, the young man had always assumed most people paled in comparison to himself on that front. Half the reason he found himself so attracted to Rachel Berry stemmed from her own doggish determination, and he'd always admired people who reminded him of himself. But Jesse was learning that Mercedes owned those self-same traits…the only difference being that her work ethnic was definitely spread more thinly among her very many interests. There was no way to sugar-coat the fact that Mercedes spent her energy attempting to be the best at many different things…unlike Jesse, who's whole life revolved around stardom. But even _he_ had to admit the girl let very little stick to the pan. She did a lot, but did it all well…to be quite honest, watching Mercedes was exhausting. She maintained excellent grades in her school courses, she was beyond conscientious when working on something for her job (sometimes staying in the studio until all hours of the night perfecting her background vocals for tracks that didn't even bear her own name). Mercedes always made time for her many friends; doing favors that he himself would have charged people for, and she often mentioned the several times she'd gone back to Lima to help her former Glee mates with one project or another. The man had been forced to admit to himself that he'd been very wrong about Mercedes all those years ago when he called her lazy…in fact, she was anything but. And in comparison to Mercedes, Jesse was learning that he'd spent a major portion of his life acting like a major-league asshole. Seeing someone so selfless spend so much time helping others and making the people around her proud was inspiring Jesse to try and be more like her. He made up his mind after several weeks' time spent in Mercedes' company to do a good job at his place of employment. He wanted to be proud to earn his paycheck, just like his new friend.

By the same token, Mercedes spent a lot of time on the phone listening to Jesse discuss his own life, and was impressed by his own brand of determination. Jesse, she knew, had no furnishings in his apartment…except for a lonely futon he'd found discarded on the street. She knew the only consumer goods he owned were a laptop, his MP3 player, a keyboard he'd found and purchased in a thrift store, and the fancy iron he used to keep his clothing so pristine. He didn't even own a microwave; saying anything worth eating could be heated in the oven! She knew he only allowed himself a budget of less than $60 a week for food, transportation, and incidentals. And he only took time away from his grueling conditioning schedule to go to his job…but she also knew that he hadn't bothered to devote any time to making friends there. Jesse's whole purpose in life was achieving the stardom he craved, and he made almost no time for anything else. His self-centeredness probably should have disgusted Mercedes; she'd been raised to be selfless to a fault, after all. But more and more the woman found herself impressed by how determined he was to achieve his goals at all costs. Mercedes knew, and could readily admit, that she'd had a lifelong habit of putting the needs and wants of others over her own desires. Being close to a person so easily convinced of his own star power (one who had no qualms about running over others to let it shine) was a wake up call. Jesse unwittingly taught Mercedes several valuable lessons in the power of selfish thinking. So she began doing some things "the Jesse way." Instead of spending Sunday evenings in virtual chat rooms "studying" with online classmates, in an attempt to help them catch up on the work they should have been completing all week long, Mercedes started begging off and joining Jesse's voice class instead. Instead of agreeing to sing in the background for certain label-mates on weekend gigs, free of charge and expecting zero recognition, she now demanded to be paid or added to the program. She even refused to return to Lima and perform for the first ever McKinley High Sadie Hawkins Day Dance. She'd been specifically invited by Tina Cohen-Chang…who'd mentioned something about a "Lonely Girl Club" at school. But Mercedes declined, saying she'd rather take the first of many ballet classes with Jesse.

These changes were small…superficial ones, even. They didn't change the faces of the people making them, nor did they do anything to take away from the essence of what made Jesse, Jesse and Mercedes, Mercedes. But they did do one very important thing…these small tweaks in personality gave Jesse St. James and Mercedes Jones a lot more common ground. They had more to bond over, more to share…and it opened a door through which genuine friendship and camaraderie could come flooding through.

They bonded more; talking into the wee hours of the night about things they now knew about one another, but never thought to ask about before. For instance, Will Schuester; both Jesse and Mercedes harbored mixed feelings about their curly-haired former choir director. Mercedes often thought about that fateful day her senior year during Booty Camp when her Glee teacher purposely tried to make an example out of her in front of the group. And it still made her blood boil. But she also had to admit that if she'd never left, then she more than likely would have graduated having never led her own group. Also, on those evenings when she woke up feeling all alone in her solitary apartment, she remembered Schuester's "cream rising to the top" remark, took in the furnishings of her nice LA apartment, and went back to sleep smiling to the memory. As for Jesse, Will Schuester represented all the things wrong with adults who refuse take the well-meaning advice of teenagers. A nineteen-year-old Jesse had gone to McKinley, armed with years of show choir experience and tried to impart it on the director of New Directions. And he'd had most of it flung back in his face. In Jesse's heart, he knew the smaller group could have won Nationals in 2011; that they could have beaten Vocal Adrenaline! He knew he could have made it happen…if Schuester hadn't stubbornly insisted that he, as a grownup, knew better they could have won the whole thing. Jesse was humiliated to have had to take that kind of abuse. But on the other hand, the fee Schuester had paid Jesse almost made up for his embarrassing lack of authority. Receipt of the check had given St. James the inspiration and motivation to save more money before returning to California a second time. And he had to admit…having been hired at all had done wonders for his self esteem following his embarrassing return to Ohio.

Jesse and Mercedes also talked a lot about Shelby Corcoran. Neither felt any ambiguity about their feelings for that particular choir director; they both loved her unconditionally. Shelby had been the first mentor in Jesse's life to take time and teach him the rudiments of acting and showmanship. She had been the first to suggest he take classes in ballet and hip hop in addition to tap. She had encouraged him, made him her star, and inspired him to win at Nationals four times in a row. Shelby was, in Jesse's opinion, the reason he'd developed such an appetite for fame, and the silently thanked her daily for helping him find his heart's desire.

Mercedes also felt that Shelby was a conditioning factor in her quest to seek and find her dream. The teacher had gone much further than Schuester -and even her church's choir leader- where voice training was concerned…Shelby helped Mercedes reach notes she'd never heard in person before. Shelby listened to her, and encouraged Mercedes to select songs for the TroubleTones that spoke to her personally…since she was the leader and needed to feel married to the material in a bigger way than the rest of the group. She even took the time to mentor the girl when the responsibilities of leadership and alarming personal matters collided in a frustrating mass of nerves. Shelby had listened while Mercedes cried and explained who the new "star performer" was that showed up just in time help New Directions beat the TroubleTones at Sectionals. Shelby offered the girl advice for dealing with an ex-boyfriend while the new boyfriend hovered in the distance. And she declared to anyone who would listen that the TroubleTone loss was no-one's fault…least of all Mercedes'. Both Jesse and Mercedes felt close to Shelby in a way that they'd never felt about another teacher. So they teamed up to write long, detained emails to Shelby in New York, so that she could see how her "two undisputed stars" were faring together on the opposite coast. They Skyped with her from time to time; Mercedes cooing at Beth in the foreground while Jesse laughingly recounted the events of his day. They took turns calling Ms. Corcoran, inquiring politely about Rachel and Kurt…and the two always made sure to touch base as a team.

Their time together was fun…completely lighthearted and easy. They ate meals cooked together in Mercedes' kitchen, Jesse played his keyboard softly while she completed school assignments, and they napped together on lazy Sunday afternoons..for no other reason other than they both hated being alone on weekends. And they did all grocery and miscellaneous household item shopping together religiously. But Mercedes and Jesse were steadfast friends; nothing more than friendship was ever addressed. Jesse loved the interesting dynamic of being best friends with a female, and wondered why he'd never had one before. Mercedes liked having telephone conversations with a person bearing a low, rumbly voice…something she'd most definitely missed. But their friendship was way too nice for either to muddle things up with romantic curiosity or momentary attraction. Things, all in all, were really good between the two.

Obviously, old adages stand the test of time for a reason…people make up certain phrases, then use them over and over to describe universal experiences. So maybe it shouldn't have surprised anyone when the saying "all good things must come to an end" certainly reared its ugly head. Unfortunately, what started out as an innocent and playful pairing of two compatible souls eventually went the way of the dinosaurs. Eventually, the friendship between Mercedes and Jesse came to an unsuspecting end. Obviously, the two friends mourned the end of an era accordingly… Although it must be said; sometimes those good things get replaced with something infinitely better…


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Okay, second chapter…coming right up! But first I need to butter my muse up for taking so long to post this thing. Erchills? You there girlie? It's KayBaby…how u doin'? Good? Good… Okay, please please please don't be upset with me for being a story-tease… Plus, you know writing is **_**re**_**-writing, and I had to get it right just for you! Forgive me? Okay, let me know if my groveling worked lol. Can't have the Muffin mad at me…**

**Anyway, this one is my way of reconciling some of the things I saw and wanted to see in the S4 episode Wonder-ful. I didn't watch it in its entirety, because I love myself too much. But I saw gifsets on Tumblr, and a few online sites streamed various Mercedes-centric scenes. And from what I gather, the writers want to tease us with this whole "something's happening between Mercedes and Mike" thing. **

**Really?**

**I mean, I'm sure in the realm of Glee-world it makes a lot of sense…pairing the spares or whatever. But those two never struck me as all that tight before. He's never jumped up and dipped Mercedes following a performance. Mike's never gone with her to the Lima Bean on an "almost double date" with Klaine. For that matter, he's never once made a joke at Tina's expense before that episode. I may be reading to much into it, but it seems to me like somebody somewhere wants to see some Blasian love on the show…and they're teasing us with all the possibilities.**

**So I'm using it in my story. Sorry, not sorry.**

**I have to thank Illiandyandra and Annikay for the proofreading and several great suggestions that added a lot of flavor to this installment. I don't know if being such great writers automatically gives them more insight into what makes stories better…or if its just plain-old word love. But whatever is responsible, I owe them a lot of thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or the characters of Glee at all. Like, not even a little bit… To be honest, I wouldn't claim that show for all the money in the world. Cuz they be trippin…**

* * *

As already established, Mercedes and Jones and Jesse St. James spent the first part of 2013 developing a friendship and becoming close. What _hasn't_ been established is the many and differing ways the young couples' friendship affected their professional lives. So as not to skip over important details, the dynamic needs to be addressed…because ultimately, that's what brought the two together romantically.

You see, when Jesse made up his mind to take cues from his new best friend, and do the job he'd accepted as well as he possibly could; he ended up impressing the same female supervisor he'd once intended to seduce. Jesse showed up on time daily, was prepared for and ready to do his duties upon arrival, he worked diligently until his shift was over, then did it all again the very next day. St. James, who could admit to being inconsistently adherent to his schedule while coaching Vocal Adrenaline –the only reason Unique had been able to sneak onstage in a dress that fateful day the previous year- now had something to prove, and prove himself he did…

His supervisor, named Gerri Harper, had noticed the young man…and she was definitely impressed. She noted how Jesse nearly always managed to resolve customer complaints the first time, and appreciated the way he passed all performance reviews and quality assurance monitoring with flying colors. She noticed the way Jesse never idled in the break room before his shift and during meals…the way he rarely spoke to co-workers on the call center floor; so as not to distract from incoming phone calls. In fact, Jesse was a model worker, and his supervisor wanted to reward him accordingly.

Gerri finally got her chance when the trusted Team Lead assigned to her resigned most unceremoniously. Gerri offered the open position to Jesse, who'd only been employed there for three months; much to the chagrin and disappointment of other Customer Service Reps, reps who'd been under Gerri's supervision for years. Jesse took the new job with zero contemplation, then performed his new duties proudly.

No more was the young man expected to live on an hourly salary that barely beat minimum wage; the Team Lead position came with wage increase of almost $7/hour! He was extremely grateful, because it gave Jesse just enough room to breathe easy about his future in LA. The year he'd budgeted for and hoped to last in California this time around? Had now stretched into two or three, at the least. There was also the added benefit of no longer having to take calls all day. Now the man circulated the call floor; visiting between the cubicles assigned to Gerri's team, and offering help with difficult customer calls. It was true that Jesse was now obligated to pose as a "supervisor" when certain callers became frustrated or belligerent; but it was nothing the man couldn't handle. He _was _after all, an actor…

Plus, St. James now had his pick of several much more desirable shifts…gone were the overnight hours spent answering customer queries while trying his best to remain awake. Now Jesse could work early in the day, and spend the afternoons taking classes; which left him much more time later on for extracurricular enjoyment with Mercedes. All in all, Jesse finally had to admit that a healthy work ethic was good for _something._

As for Mercedes -who'd taken to heart all the many ways Jesse used his inherently selfish nature and total belief in his own talent to get ahead- the unlikely friendship bore unexpected fruit as well. Do you recall the way the young woman finally began asserting herself while on the job? The way Mercedes now demanded credit and payment for allowing others to utilize her most powerful and valuable asset? If so, then it should come as no surprise to you that all those efforts eventually paid off. Mercedes was attracting attention…attention from powerful people in her new circles. And it was the type of attention that she'd have paid dearly for -only weeks before.

Enter Martin Richley…a wealthy, established music producer always on the lookout for the next, more profitable thing. Martin was not the producer who'd originally seen Mercedes' _Disco Inferno_ video online. Nor was he the one who subsequently offered her a post-high school job. However once Mercedes _was_ hired, Martin lost no time at all in assessing her worth; i.e. figuring out how much –if any- money Mercedes could one day make for him.

Martin honestly represented everything wrong with the state of the American recording industry; a fact that most of his artists eventually found out the hard way. He had the savvy and instincts necessary for predicting the "next big thing," but coupled them with a nasty affinity for forcing new artists imitate the "last big thing." Martin exuded an abundance of confidence and experience in meetings and recording sessions; which led many a newly signed artist to trust him implicitly. But he also showed no qualms about stripping a singer's self-esteem, and capitalizing on their perceived ignorance; in order to force them to acquiesce in matters of creative control. Martin was famous for consistently producing and releasing well-known singles that made stars out of his new signees; however, he rarely followed those hits up with actual album releases…effectively earning said signees the distinction of becoming "one-hit wonders."

Martin had been watching Mercedes Jones closely from the first day she had arrived in the studio, vibrating with nerves and joy. He knew, objectively speaking, that the girl from the Midwest had talent in spades. Martin was also aware that Mercedes was hardworking and conscientious. Martin spoke often with the professionals working the audio boards and background musicians; in order to find out how much, if any, over-dubbing and auto-tuning was needed to make Mercedes sound so good. And when he found out the answer was "none," he made tentative plans to get Mercedes under a new contract with him personally…sometime in the fairly distant future.

But Martin hadn't counted on Mercedes coming into her own so early in her career. Mercedes, the same girl who'd effectively hated once Rachel Berry for demanding the spotlight all those years, had managed to somehow to finally uncover her own inner Rachel. These were changes she'd learned at the feet of her new friend Jesse, and she took them all to heart. No longer did Mercedes deflect compliments from other artists or members of management; she now began to accept them, humbly, but determinedly. She no longer turned down gigs with well-established artists in favor of less-talented but more tenured label-mates. Now she vied for them…often challenging those same label-mates to sing-offs in order to decide which singer was most worthy. And it wasn't often that she was bested. It was a common occurrence for Mercedes to find herself on the receiving end of raves concerning her vocal range; which was something she'd been used to her whole life. But these days she no longer insured the person doing the raving that they were just as good as she…Now Mercedes gave the name of her voice coach to the raver; because she received discounts for referring new customers. Mercedes was learning to own her star power, embrace the fact that her talent made her different than others…and the new attitude paid off. It didn't take long before people in the know began using Ms. Jones on each and every thing they packaged.

Martin was enthralled by the tiny Diva with the pipes to back up her own self-worth…and one day approached her with an invite to dinner.

Over steaks and salads, Martin and Mercedes discussed her career trajectory in great detail. She described her influences; Whitney Houston, Faith Evans, Patti LaBelle, Aretha Franklin, Jill Scott… The young woman spoke about her favorite singers animatedly, with obvious love and respect all over her face. Mercedes fiercely explained her desire to sing pure R&B with little to no pop influences…much like her idols. The woman talked briefly about the original songs she'd been penning since her days as a high school junior…Martin listened as she described the youthful shenanigans of the Glee Club she belonged to at the time. And she gushed over her childhood dream of starting an all-girl group; from which she could eventually branch out like Destiny's Child's Beyoncé.

When Martin heard the name of the multi-platinum recording artist, whose shows sold out consistently and whose star was always on a steady rise…he perked up. Martin mulled over the career trajectory of the 30-something Diva, and remembered that she'd also been discovered as a talented teenager. Martin knew from experience that stars like Mrs. Knowles-Carter are rarely easily persuaded to sign contracts that favor the interests of anyone but themselves…but he also knew that he could have easily capitalized on the woman as a young girl. Martin desperately wanted to sign the next Beyoncé to an exclusive production deal, before she was savvy enough to consider his motives. Wanted desperately to own the rights to whatever this young woman had at her disposal, before she realized enough to demand more for it. Martin knew that he could mold this short, dark girl with the honeyed voice into what the world wanted to see. So he wasted no time in offering Mercedes her dream on a platter that, while not 100% silver, was definitely silver-plated.

Martin, in a manner he'd long ago perfected, made a big show of explain the specifics concerning a change-over in representation before her original contract played out. He advised her to seek legal counsel, and allow her parents or another interested party to go over the documents before signing. He even gave the young woman a week to consider the offer; all of which made Mercedes trust Martin's motives completely. Exactly four days later, Mercedes Jones found herself in possession of a brand new recording contract with Blue Sun In The Sky Records which named Martin Richely as her managing producer. Mercedes was finally a solo recording artist!

She owed it all to Jesse….

Mercedes went about her business, recording songs and plotting her future relentlessly; the girl was excited about her future and ready to see all these great things happen. But all her hard work and joy came to a head the week third week of May. She'd briefly gone to Lima Ohio in order to film her first music video, but returned to LA both sad and dejected. Her good friend Jesse was there to greet the singer…

"Cedes!" Jesse hugged Mercedes the second she closed the front door behind her and engaged her security alarm. "God, I missed you…I'm so glad you're back!"

"Thanks, Jesse," Mercedes choked out, close to tears. "I appreciate you house-sitting. And watering the flowers while I was gone…"

"Pshhh…" Jesse waved her thanks away dismissively. "Think I'm gonna turn down cable TV and an actual bed?" Jesse had enjoyed his stay in Puck's room immensely, and to be honest, he wasn't ready to leave yet. "But what's wrong, Mercedes? Didn't things go well with your video?"

"It's nothing, Jesse…" Mercedes tried valiantly to hide the flushed cheeks and red eyes she knew were a precursor to actual and impossible to hide tears. "Really…I'm okay."

"Okay?" Jesse asked skeptically. "You're about to cry." He peered into her eyes and used his thumbs to brush away the tears that had formed and dropped down her cheeks. "I know your 'almost sobbing' face, Miss Thang. So why you acting all brand new with me?"

Mercedes, who had been just about to bolt unceremoniously to her room and stay there until he left of his own volition, burst out laughing. It was really unfair the way Jesse could always get her to laugh by mimicking her own favorite phrases; phrases he'd never heard before their friendship and often had to ask the meanings of. The boy was really good at impressions; he'd be a great actor one day. It was also unfair the way he knew her so well…

"You're not gonna let this go, are you? Mercedes chuckled, when the worst of her shouts of laughter were over. "I mean, you've pretty much already decided that I'm going to tell you eventually, haven't you?"

"Damn right!" Jesse agreed. "So come on…let me know something!"

"Boy!" Again, Mercedes laughed as she started walking toward her room. "Come on; we can talk in here…" The young woman flopped onto her bed and made room beside her for her friend. Jesse crawled in and put his arm around Mercedes; allowing her head to rest on his chest.

"Okay, start talking…"

So Mercedes began to talk. She told Jesse how excited she'd been to secure her solo artist deal; and how rashly she'd undertaken that step…running the decision past neither her parents nor an attorney. She described how disappointed she was with herself and how she wished she'd never taken the opportunity in the first place. Mercedes described Martin, and all the ways he'd seemed like every artist's dream come true in the beginning. She went into detail about how he'd changed; seemingly overnight…and how overbearing, insulting, and degrading his most recent words to her had been. Mercedes talked at length about how humiliated she'd been, when she'd been reminded that sometimes people who love her talent also hate her physical appearance. Then she reminded Jesse that she'd felt the same way about Mr. Schuester. Mercedes told Jesse about the stipulated demands Martin had made of her while she scouted locations for her 'home-spun' music video…and the subsequent refusal and loss of contract. Then Mercedes informed Jesse that she was planning to move back to Lima.

"Wait, you're moving back?" Jesse was confused. "Why in the hell would you do that?"

"Because I don't have a job now or the income to stay here…" she looked at Jesse curiously. "…if I stay in LA I'll end up homeless, man…"

"That's not true…" Jesse chided. "…you're purposely oversimplifying a problem that has a lot of layers, Mercedes Jones," he went on. "And nothing's that cut and dried…"

"Jesse!" Mercedes sat up and positioned her body so she could look him in the eye. "What are you talking about? You did the same thing…" she reminded him. "…you left two years ago, so I_ know_ you understand." Jesse didn't even pretend to agree with Mercedes, and the woman raised her voice in frustration. "Anyway, you're back now and I can just do the same thing you did. You know…go home and save up money so when I make my way back my success won't be dependent on some funky little job!"

Jesse rolled his eyes because his friend was comparing apples to oranges. "First of all if you leave there's a good chance you won't come back…and you're not me, so why risk it?" Mercedes bit her lip. "Second, I had to leave because I dug a hole that I couldn't dig myself out of on my own. It was a hole I wanted to avoid this time, so I spent the last two years saving up. But again, you're not me…Mercedes, you're smarter than I was back then, and you have more options. So you can do what I wasn't able to…"

"Smarter, yes," the young woman agreed. "But willing to sacrifice? Maybe not so much…"

"What?"

"I mean, hear me out…" Mercedes headed his argument off. "…_you_ probably would have done the shoot; or at least let a body double pose as you on the cover… am I right?"

"More than likely," Jesse admitted. "I guess I would have…But it's your decision; not mine. And it just means you have to work harder before you claim what's yours…"

"But maybe I don't like hard work!" Mercedes cut him off. "You called me lazy, once; and Mr. Schue did too… So maybe I don't have what it takes to make it…the drive, or whatever; because that's just who I am. And maybe it's better that I find that shit out now at nineteen than twenty years down the ro…"

"Okay, shut the hell up!" Jesse interrupted. "I guess I always knew this day was coming; though I'd hoped to avoid it for a few more years. You and I are going to have this conversation finally… a conversation that is both uncomfortable and long overdue. That time I called you lazy after your Nationals tryout…"

"What about it?" Mercedes bristled.

"I was wrong," he said simply. "I was…but I'm not going to sugarcoat this next part so brace yourself…" Jesse went on as Mercedes stiffened. "…At the time I said it, I honestly thought it was true."

Mercedes shot Jesse a mean look.

"…not because of how you look or because your performance was bad!" he was quick to include. "But because it wasn't what I would have done myself if I'd have sang that song."

"Go on…"

"You sang a soulful song with a medium tempo that would have been perfect for showcasing some early Motown inspired choreography. Nothing big or fancy; we're talking side shuffles and finger-snaps. I don't know why, but in my mind I always assumed you could do that stuff in your sleep…"

"You were right; and I can," Mercedes agreed.

"…so I also assumed you just didn't care enough to do it." Jesse went on. "At the time, I wasn't exactly likely to enjoy anyone's performance more than Rachel's…I can admit to that with no problem. But I also can't deny that my criticisms were based on my actual opinions…"

"Yeah, you were sucking her ass pretty damn hard…" Mercedes chose not to address the part of his statement that reflected poorly on her work ethic.

"Because I wanted her to be the star and reward me by dating me again…" Jesse admitted, choosing not to comment on Mercedes' graphic choice of words. "Dude, I had a carton of eggs to make up for!"

Mercedes laughed.

"Besides, it wasn't just you…" Jesse continued. "…I told Santana she wasn't good enough, and Kurtsie too!" He reminded Mercedes. "I basically just said what would be the cruelest; knowing Mr. Schuester would take it to heart and give the solo to Rachel…but you have to understand that I hate knowing something I said is causing you to doubt yourself!"

"What about when Kurt and I came backstage to see Unique?" Mercedes asked. "You called me lazy then, too…"

"Old habits die hard…" Jesse joked. "…Seriously, I was nervous and pretty sure you two were up to some sabotage. If you recall, I had a long history of spying on New Directions at the time…I measured you two by my own yardstick, and I was wrong."

"It's okay Jesse," Mercedes cuddled back into his chest. "I suppose I forgave you a long time ago…"

"And the thing is…" Jesse continued. "…that now I know you better I can see how wrong I was. You stay busier than anybody I've ever met and you're the best at everything you do. Girl, it's exhausting to look at you!"

Mercedes chuckled again.

"So let me take this long overdue opportunity to offer you my most sincere apology as well as some much needed advice" Jesse asserted. "Stay here in LA; don't go back to Lima. Please."

"How?" Mercedes asked. "Jesse, I already told my parents that I lost my deal! They're not going to pay for me to live here anymore, when I don't even have a job to go to anymore…"

"So?" Jesse said rudely. "You might not even need their money if you're smart. Before you do anything rash…let's just spend a little time thinking this through logically, shall we?" The tone of voice Jesse adopted was both placating, and condescending, because he wanted to anger his friend. An angry Mercedes, Jesse knew, was a Mercedes who got things done. "There's a chance you and I can come up with a better plan…"

Mercedes rolled her eyes, but nodded in acquiescence.

"Okay," he started. "First tell me specifically, what changed for you when you signed your new contract? Like, how was your bottom line affected?"

"Specifically…" Mercedes mulled it over. "Well, my background contract guaranteed me a certain amount of income paid monthly over a year of service. I got a salary to be on call and sing 'doo-wop' for various solo artists; and I made the same amount whether I sang on seven tracks in a month or seventy."

"Keep going..." Jesse probed. "…tell me what would have happened if the company had terminated your contract early before the year was over?"

"Then they would have had to pay me for any remaining months," Mercedes answered. "But don't get too happy… the new deal I signed rendered the first one null and void."

"Okay…so that's the first thing we need to look into." Jesse informed her. "If something's off about the second contract or illegal in any way…then we can get that one declared null and void so the Blue Sun In The Sky Records still has to adhere to the terms of the first one. We can get a lawyer to look it over, and if they find a loophole then they owe you six months' salary!"

Jesse had produced a spiral notebook from Mercedes' nightstand in order to write down possible solutions. She shot him a grateful look, and promised to get her father's business attorney to look over her solo deal contract immediately.

"Next," Jesse continued. "You should tell me how your new deal works…and why Martin doesn't have to pay you anything after he cut you from the label."

"Well," Mercedes began. "See, my solo deal is what they call a development contract. Music labels do this all the time when they're willing to take a gamble on a new artist. They undertake all the costs of writing, producing and releasing an album, then recoup their expenditure from sales…if there are any sales to recoup anything from!" Mercedes joked. "Whatever is left is profit and the artists get a certain percentage…in my case 5%...which is actually a lot!"

"Keep going," Jesse instructed, still writing furiously.

"So before I ever signed anything, Martin and I discussed things like songwriting credits, single releases, and probable profitability…"

"And?" Jesse probed.

"And," Mercedes said, wishing he'd stop interrupting and just let her finish talking. "It turned out that I was a lot more together than most of the new artists on the label. I had songs, and scores; Artie even sent me a few beats he put together and recorded…gave them to me free of charge! Which meant Blue Sun In the Sky was taking less of a gamble on me. I still didn't like the idea of owing the company all this money some day, so together Martin and I came up with a way for me to absorb some of the loss. You know I barely spent anything since coming to LA, so I paid for all the recording costs and printing out of all the money I've saved. Then it was up to the label to promote it and release it. None of it was a given; Martin was real quick to reiterate that point. But I trusted him… and now I'm screwed."

"How?"

"Because now I own all my songs; because my Daddy insisted that I get them all copy-written. And I own the actual CDs now that they've been made, because I paid for them. But Martin's released me from my deal, and I've spent all my savings to boot. What am I supposed to do with crates and crates full of CDs…sell them at church? I don't wanna have to go all "Eminem," and peddle them from the trunk of my car on the street…"

"You don't have to do that Mercedes," Jesse scolded. "Anyway, he's a rapper, and they do that kind of thing for street cred…which you don't need, I might add. Divas are glamorous, not hustlers…"

"True…" Mercedes agreed.

"But if you own the finished product, that means you can promote yourself!" Jesse seemed excited. "I bet if we knocked on enough doors we could get a few DJs to spin your tracks in clubs…imagine how cocky they'd be, once you make it big. We can convince them to say yes by telling them they'll get to brag about being the first one to "put you on…"

"Jesse, I don't know any DJs…" Mercedes shook her head.

"And we can build you a website, too…" Jesse ignored her nay-saying and continued to dream-build. "…think about it; we could include a link for sampling some of your tracks, and call it the 'listening room.' People will post rave reviews and email them to their friends…" Jesse was definitely excited. "You can do the 'click here to purchase,' thing and send people the CD's or let them download the MP3 after they pay using PayPal…Shit, you can sell them on Ebay!"

"How in the hell am I supposed to build a website?" Mercedes inquired.

Jesse waved her off, "Details…minor details." He continued to write. "Self-promotion is all about who has the best ideas…I bet we can go over to one of those swap meets you love so much and find out where we can get tee shirts printed cheap; can you imagine your new CD cover art on all the fake chests around here? Advertisement at its finest… We don't have to be about billboards and radio ads. Although one day…"

Mercedes cut him off. "But what if we don't find a loophole and the money takes awhile to start pouring in?" she asked. "How in the world can I stay here? I mean; you're forgetting that I can sell via website and Ebay from my room at home! Plus, I can stay there for free…"

"That's true," he admitted. "But you have to be in LA to shop a new deal…" Jesse rebutted. "How many singers can approach labels with a demo that's been professionally mastered and features seasoned studio musicians?"

Mercedes seemed to think this through. "You're not wrong…"

"I know I'm not wrong!" Jesse agreed. "And I bet there's probably a whole bunch of gossip already circulating about the singer who told Martin to go suck it for moral reasons. That's the kind of thing that could very well play in your favor…"

"Or get me a rep as the 'difficult' one," Mercedes argued.

"You'll never know that unless you try…" Jesse got the last word.

"And the rent?" Mercedes reminded him of her original argument. "My landlord doesn't accept fresh air as legal tender…how am I gonna come up with that?"

"Will your parents still pay half?" Jesse inquired. He'd planned on directing his frind to the "Help Wanted" section of the newspaper…after all that was where he'd found his own job. But another idea had come to him that he decided was better for them both. "Just like they've been doing all year long?"

"I honestly don't know …" Mercedes admitted. "…I never asked. But they mostly did that before because Puck was here and it helped him stick around longer. They liked me having somebody around…"

"So I'll move in…" Jesse mentioned it so casually that his friend did an actual double-take.

Mercedes sat up again and moved so that she faced Jesse. "Divo say what?"

"I'm serious…" Jesse grinned. "…my lease is up; I'm paying month-to-month anyway. And I like it here…"

"…you…me…dude, what the hell…"

"I can pay half if your folks pay the rest…" Jesse suggested. "…with my raise, I can even keep the cable on!"

"…Jesse…wait, what….no damn way…"

"Anyway, I've been paying an extra 85 bucks every month since my lease ran out; because of the month-to-month fee," he explained further. "To be honest, paying half your rent and utilities could actually save me some money! Puckerman doesn't care about his things; he doesn't even want them…"

"He told me to give them to charity," Mercedes mentioned briefly.

"…so now you don't have to!" Jesse exclaimed. "Granted, I definitely want to wash all his sheets and maybe have you pray over his mattress for me…"

Mercedes laughed in spite of herself.

"But you can stay here; and we can work on getting you signed to another label together." Jesse continued. "And in the meantime, you can pick up a job waiting tables or being a barista…which is exactly what you would have done if you'd gone back to Lima!"

"But I can't let you do that, man…" Mercedes looked fiercely proud. "…Joneses pay their own way!"

"You did it for Puck!" Jesse threw back at her. "You and your folks…"

"And anyway, being in Lima won't be all that bad…" Mercedes ignored his last argument. "…Everybody totally agreed with my decision to move back there, and they even congratulated me for taking the higher ground. If I move home I'll have a whole support system in place…"

"A bunch of people who've never lived here, or tried to make it as recording artists don't count; and their opinions don't matter…" Jesse argued. "…that's not a support system, Mercedes; it's people telling you what you want to hear!"

Mercedes growled in frustration…it still wasn't fair for this boy to know her so well…

"_I'm_ your support system, girl…" he bragged. "…I'm the one who's helped you form a plan. And I've given you all the tools necessary to make it work. Only thing standing in the way is you!"

"Okay!" Mercedes snarled. "Okay, St. James…I'll give it another six months. Stay here for the year I originally planned."

Jesse cheered.

"But oh my damn, dude…" Mercedes went on. "…has anyone ever told you you're annoying as all hell?"

"Once or twice…" Jesse chuckled as he beckoned Mercedes back into his arms. "…once or twice."

She relented and paused to give Jesse a brief peck to the cheek before settling into his arms.

"I have to say, though," Mercedes went on. "That I was kinda looking forward to moving back for another reason…"

"Oh yeah?" Jesse listened up, prepared to shoot down any more objections. "And what reason is that?"

"Dating," she said simply. "I haven't gone out with any guys since I've been out here, but I had a few moments with one of my old classmates that made me think about maybe seeing where it could lead…"

"Which one?" Jesse was hit with an inexplicable and surprising bout of jealousy, however he convinced himself he only felt that way because of the possibility that the guy might be Finn.

"Mike," Mercedes answered, embarrassed to be girl-taking with her best male friend. She started talking faster to ameliorate the awkwardness. "He bought me coffee and agreed to be my choreographer. We dance-flirted and he's been patting me on the ass all year…and he was the first one to cosign with me; after Martin showed his ass and dropped me from the label. Mike told me I was beautiful just like I already am…and that I didn't need any people around that didn't see that for themselves."

"So?" Jesse's jealousy surprisingly didn't go away when he learned the identity of Mercedes' potential love interest. It actually became worse in response to hearing all the details. "I said the same exact thing. You don't need 'Poo Bun In Your Eye' or 'Who Runs in the Fly' Records. And unlike your "homeboy," I'm not just telling you this so I can get into your pants!"

"I know that, Jesse…" Mercedes conceded. "…but Mike and I had a lot of these really sweet moments; instinct tells me that if I was back in the Midwest while he's in Chicago, then we might see each other more often and maybe get something going. Plus, summer's just around the corner…that's definitely my favorite season to be all Boo'ed up!"

"What about that girlfriend of his who looks just like him?" Jesse asked skeptically.

"Tina?" Mercedes confirmed. "Well, they broke up this year; she's not exactly who she was before we graduated. The pressures of being a senior and female lead in the Glee Club, coupled with all the upheaval involved in no longer having us old-heads around… she's changed."

"So his ex has gone off the rails, and Ninja Boy wants to see if he can mold you into the girl he wants…" Jesse accused, while Mercedes shot him an insulted look. "…Oh, I don't doubt for one second that Chan-Chan has developed real feelings for you; it'd almost be impossible for him not to…"

Mercedes preened under the compliment.

"…But I was in ND for awhile, too Mercedes! So I remember how close you and Girl Chang used to be; how much the two of you had in common… There's no way in hell the guy never caught onto it the same way I did; which means Boy Chang just wants you to step in and be his Ching-Chong 2.0…"

"Stop!" Mercedes was giggling at the lengths Jesse would go to toward convincing her to stay in LA. Truth be told, she was flattered by all of his effort. "I already told you I'm staying here with you…don't worry; and be nice!"

Jesse let the issue drop, and settled into their cuddle… but not before dropping a kiss on Mercedes' forehead. It was the masculine version of the peck she'd planted on his cheek after finally agreeing to try and make Jesse's plan work. But it also alerted Jesse to some very real changes in the way he now saw Mercedes. The nuances were subtle, almost imperceptible. Jesse was floored by the way he wanted to graze his lips lower and meet her lips. The way Mercedes' eyes fluttered shut, making him wish she'd have left them open. The way Mercedes raised her hand to place an innocent palm on his chest…and the way Jesse hoped for a second that she'd been about to use that hand to thread through his hair, or caress the back of his neck. This new development was very interesting, to say the absolute least…

Mercedes felt so much of Jesse's respect for her in the small buss to the forehead that ended effectively ended their awkward conversation. There was so much support in the small gesture of camaraderie. And she appreciated it immensely. But there was also a small pang of disappointment on her part; disappointment because she'd enjoyed imagining that Jesse's insults to Mike were the result of jealousy. She'd missed having a man put on his fight face in reaction to another guy's advances. When the exchange ended, Mercedes relived it in her head over and over. It had been a great feeling…

* * *

In the end, Jesse and Mercedes concluded that that they would call her parents together, and explain the new arrangement they'd come up with. Then if they managed to get parental approval, they would use Mercedes' car to go pick up Jesse's things. The conversation with the senior Joneses came off without a hitch; they were both impressed with the thinking and planning that had been done since the last time they saw Mercedes. Dr. Jones and his wife even offered to pay the next month's rent in its entirety, so that the good friends could get their financial bearings. Mercedes' father was more than happy to offer his business advisor's services –the man was on retainer anyway- for going over her contracts. And both parents were beyond ecstatic that their daughter now had a strong young man around to protect and defend her while keeping her company. The four of them spent so much time talking that the sun went down, forcing Jesse to spend their first night as roommates even earlier than they'd planned.

The next morning the new roommates threw all of Puck's linens in the wash, then took off for Jesse's building. While packing, other news about Mercedes' recent trip came to light, and Jesse had been floored when she mentioned in passing that she was expected at McKinley in two weeks' time for Regionals. Jesse, seeing red, had mixed feelings about her leaving. Obviously, he wanted to see her friends do well in competition, and he knew Mercedes' coaching and advice could make all the difference…but even more so, Chang was there…

"What if I come with you," he offered. The suggestion had just com to Jesse and he was proud of himself for thinking on the fly.

"With me?" Mercedes was confused. "But you hate my old choir-mates…"

"I don't hate you…" he asserted, not bothering to deny the very valid point Mercedes had just made. "…come on, I'll play nice!"

"Okay…" she relented. "…what harm could it possibly do?" So they made airline arrangements together and discussed what they'd bring.

Over the next few weeks, Jesse and Mercedes made the most of her newly opened-up schedule. She applied for and got a job as receptionist in a hair salon; teasing Jesse about the fact that he could now use her discount on products. They also stayed in touch with Dr. Jones' attorney, who bragged about the possible loophole in Mercedes' solo contract he'd managed to uncover. Mercedes still attended her dance and voice classes, intent on keeping up with her training schedule; even going so far as to add another and charging the fees to her emergency credit card. Finally, the new roommates spent a lot of time getting used to their new arrangement.

Jesse, following his initial shock regarding the jealousy he felt towards Mike Chang –or actually, any male getting close to Mercedes- took those first few weeks to ponder where the odd feeling had stemmed from. He knew he liked her as a person. That wasn't something he spent a single second debating. But did he like her as a woman, too? For Jesse, the answer wasn't completely crystal clear until Mercedes invited him along as "plus one" to a party she'd been invited to by one of her new coworkers. He knew he'd have a great time in her company, and he knew he was flattered to have been considered. But what really solidified his newfound feelings was the amount of care his "date" put into readying herself for a night on the town. Mercedes had come out of her bathroom in a deep fuchsia strapless wrap dress, complete with sweetheart neckline and abundant cleavage...and Jesse immediately knew that he desperately needed to be more than Mercedes' friend. Jesse was shallow, but not shallow enough to believe for a single minute that his attraction was based solely on her looks…although he appreciated her beauty immensely. But he also found himself mesmerized by whatever scent she chose to wear that evening; caught himself staring at the clear gloss that made her lips shine in the dim light of her car. Jesse relished in the way Mercedes took the care to style her hair in the manner she knew he loved…long tendrils framing her lovely face with the back portion swept to one side in the manner of a messy/curly ponytail; not unlike the style she'd chosen for the Prom evening they'd spent together all those years ago. And a huge part of Jesse's fascination lay in the way Mercedes waited for him to open doors for her, and save her seat while she danced with her girlfriends once they arrived.

Jesse was learning how incredibly sweet it felt to be depended on; to be trusted with the care of someone you enjoyed. It certainly didn't help matters that the two spent the evening pretending to be a couple for the benefit of Mercedes new friends…all of whom had tried unsuccessfully to set pretty singer up with men they knew. Jesse knew before the chaste –but heartfelt, nonetheless- kiss they shared at the door of their apartment at the end of the evening, that he wanted Mercedes to be his new girlfriend. The only thing left to wonder was when he'd finally bite the bullet and tell her so.

As for Mercedes, the small pang of disappointment that had arisen in her soul the moment she realized Jesse harbored no jealousy towards potential suitors had grown. Grown exponentially, to be quite honest…and she often found herself wallowing in the memory of the supposed slight. Mercedes knew, intellectually that she needed an envious roommate like she needed a kick in the throat; but she'd genuinely enjoyed herself when Jesse made his distaste for Mike's affection known. She'd never admit it to anyone, but after that night Mercedes devoted a lot of time to finding out if she could cause the same reaction twice. Jesse was a real actor…sometimes adopting made-up personas for days on end and refusing to break character for anyone. So Mercedes knew he could hide any feelings he may have had for her, and hide them well. But she knew him well enough to also understand that he didn't hide much from her…this was something she'd learned about him early on. Jesse trusted her, and usually let his real feelings show.

So trusting in that knowledge, Mercedes paid attention carefully while inviting Jesse to her new friend's party, and she recognized the grateful look that settled across his features. When they discussed her plan to pretend to be dating, she saw how much he was looking forward to perpetrating the ruse. Finally, the moment Mercedes exited her bathroom all dolled up, she caught the glimpse of longing that remained on his features for the rest of the night…and it pleased Mercedes more than she cared to admit. Regardless of whether or not Mercedes ultimately decided to reciprocate and act on these new feelings, she was ecstatic that they were there to begin with.

So the two went along that way for weeks, aware of all the changing feelings and loathe to do anything about them. They both wanted to remain comfortable while living together, and didn't want any semblance of awkwardness to invade their happy companionship…at least not yet. By the time they boarded the plane for Ohio, they'd each decided to table any discussions for a later, yet-to-be-determined date. But neither had counted on, or been prepared, for what happened the day of Regionals.

Because New Direction were the victors in the previous year's competition, the event would be held in McKinley's auditorium for 2013. All the players were there, in various states of busyness, disrepair and confusion…Jesse devoted his time prior to curtain to calming down the newest members of New Directions; namely Marley, Ryder, Kitty, and Jake. They'd all experienced something of a disappointment at their Sectionals performance earlier in the year, and were nervously doubting themselves. Mercedes and Kurt took a few moments to boost the morale of their "protégé," Unique…reassuring her that her "godparents" were fully confident that she'd purport herself majestically. Mr. Schuester, Santana Lopez and Mike Chang were congratulating Brittany S. Pierce profusely, as she'd just heard wonderful news about her scholastic future. And the rest of the crew –Sam Evans, Sugar Motta, Artie Abrams, Tina Cohen-Chang, Blaine Anderson and Joe Hart- were chatting amicably with Finn Hudson and Noah Puckerman; completely collected and ready for battle.

Certain members of the choir –those who knew Jesse, not only by reputation but in reality as well- cast the young man several surreptitious sneers; and whispered about him vehemently to those who had yet to form their own opinions. He understood the very valid reasons behind their animosity, so Jesse let those ill feelings wash over him like nothing. He was, however, taken aback momentarily by the glares he received from several male members of the group. Noah Puckerman flicked him off for everyone to see, Sam Evans suggested on more than one occasion that perhaps Jesse might like to vacate the premises. And of course Michael Chang glowered in Jesse's direction, whenever St. James sought Mercedes out and joined her for a laugh. Jesse guessed that his crush had been ascertained by the other boy, and relished in the showdown that would inevitably occur at some time. All of that chaos did nothing to deter the NDs from bringing their A-games to this performance. But they eventually they and Mr. Schue left to go and wow the audience. What went on in the choir room during said performance was severely distracting for all parties involved.

The upheaval began when Mike Chang sauntered up to Mercedes and inquired about her plans to move back to Ohio. Jesse was nearby, but bit his tongue in order to let his friend break the news without his input. When Mercedes informed Mike that she was staying in Los Angeles, and explained all her reasoning and plans; Mike visibly clenched. His whole body became tense and unspeakably uncomfortable to watch. Then he walked off to relay what he'd found out to the rest of his former classmates.

Unfortunately, when Finn and Noah approached Mercedes in order to verify the gossip, they did so in the most abrasive and unbelieving manner possible. Puck cajoled his ex-roommate by telling her that coming back would mean more time spent revisiting their former closeness. Finn reminded Mercedes that she wouldn't be the only c/o 2012 member back in Lima…as he'd recently enrolled in Lima University as a full time student. Together, the two young men begged the girl to come back. They wanted her to return and be a major force in molding the lives of the New-New Directions. Neither had done very well in the big, bad world; and they both had come to believe that some people do much better in life if they stick close to home…Both boys desperately hoped to convince Mercedes that she was one of those people, too.

Mercedes laughed off their borderline-insulting opinion of her playfully, and reiterated her desire to make her way in LA. This ended the conversation effectively, because they all knew better than to push Mercedes once she'd put her foot down. Jesse, however, seethed silently while she laughed. Again, he managed to remain quiet and let Mercedes address all their concerns one by one; but he did so only because he had the presence of mind to bite his own tongue and look in the other direction while they talked.

After the NDs won, several friends crowded Mercedes and –amidst all the celebration and revelry- prodded her for information about any recent developments in her glamorous LA life. When she mentioned her brand new house-mate, one friend in particular became threatened and sought to challenge their supposed new-found closeness in the most ninja-like manner. Mike rose from his seat at the front of the room, stood right behind Mercedes –who'd been nodding in response to a question asked her by Tina- and circled her waist with his long arms. Amidst the looks of jealousy (Tina, Sam, and Jesse), gazes of approval (Puck, Kurt and Blaine) and faces bearing unadulterated confusion (pretty much everyone else), Mercedes chose to interpret the gesture as friendly and proceeded to laugh it off. Mike, having already decided to leave very little room for mis-interpretation, immediately one-upped himself; leaning over to nuzzle his face into the skin where Mercedes' neck met her collarbone. Before pulling away, he planted a soft kiss and then murmured something in Mercedes' ear that no one else could quite make out. When Mercedes smiled, he moved to her side and held her hand; fingers entertained together for all the world to see.

This was worse than the subtle allusions to his bad character, Jesse decided. Worse, even, than the absolute gall these so-called "friends" displayed when trying to make decisions for Mercedes. This was a direct affront to the closeness Jesse had forged with Mercedes, he told himself. And because Mike's efforts were neither cloaked or clouded…he had every right to take the gloves off. Jesse gave himself express permission to speak up.

"You should probably remove your hands from Mercedes' hand, _Chong_…" Jesse deliberately called the boy by the wrong name and didn't care how racist he sounded doing so. He also adopted a sickeningly sweet tone of voice that he knew fooled no one in the room. "…it's really impolite to make public physical gestures towards someone you're attracted to; unless they've admitted to sharing in that attraction."

Mike removed his hand from Mercedes' palm, then placed his arm around her shoulders; he was now plastered even more closely to her side than before. Mike smirked; knowing he'd gotten Jesse's goat.

"Mercedes doesn't seem to mind, Jesse…" he peered down into the girl's face and ignored the slight shaking of her head. He knew it was Mercedes' way of asking him to stop baiting Jesse…but Mike had no intention of doing that. "…if you'd been here last time Mercedes came home, you'd know that she and I are lot closer now. When stuff like that happens; barriers tend to drop. You understand…"

"Not really," Jesse chuckled, rising from his seat among the risers. "All I see is you not leaving my friend alone; and if you don't want me to physically remove your arm from Mercedes, then you'll do it yourself, of your own volition!"

"Sorry, dude…" Mike shook his head and widened his stance. "…not moving until Mercedes asks me to. So get over it!"

"Mike, I thought you were my boy…" Sam cut in. He'd been just as puzzled as most of the people in the room by this new development, and decided to address it accordingly. "…I stayed away from your ex all year long because you told me you still had feelings for her. So why all of a sudden would you go and pursue mine?" Mike momentarily wavered before determinedly fixing his features, then he shrugged in Sam's general direction. Sam crossed his arms and looked away.

"That's what you get for playing around with Britts!" Santana crowed. It didn't take much to raise Santana's ire; and the required amount lessened considerably when the offending party was "Trouty Mouth." She raised a manicured finger to point directly into his face. "You know, I should-a cut your ass when I last had the chance…First you and Wheezy break up, and you proceed to run your ass around trying to console yourself with the girl I love. Then you convince that same girl to marry your ass in a fake-ass wedding. Finally, you confront me for reminding Britts of who she _really _loves back. And now you want an explanation for why your boy don't give a flip about your feelings? Guess what? I used to think you were _my_ friend…"

Sam saw Santana raise her hands to her hair, supposedly to remove the razor blades hidden there. He tried to cower behind Unique, who was having none of that. While Sam looked for shelter, Unique sat in the back row with Sugar, and Santana continued her tirade.

"Brittany, Froggy? The girl I lived in _Kentucky_, of all places, to stay near? The girl who taught _my_ ass how to love the lady kisses? The same girl I cheated on _you_ with?" The girl laughed outright in Sam's face. "…I may be the world's sexiest bitch, but even_ I_ wouldn't piss off Karma like that, Fish Face…" Sam continued to cower, while Santana continued to rail against him, making mention of "Bitch-Ass, Cheerio-trail leaving, musty-nuts" and "Poverty-stricken, redneck, cousin-fuckers," as well as "Big-mouthed, limp-dick, dumb-asses." Then she left, effectively getting the last word.

"Wait, you told Sam not to date me?" Tina asked, punching her fist into her palm victoriously. "That's great; it means we can fall in love again! Mike, you and I can still get back together…" Mike shook his head while Tina folded herself into Blaine's arms and pouted.

"Chile…I told you something was gonna pop off up in here after Stevie Week." Unique addressed Sugar and pursed her lips while shooting the redhead a knowing look. "Didn't I tell you Mike was trying to court? Trust…Unique knows Diva thirst when she sees it!"

"Whatevs, Unique…" Sugar waved the short-lived triumph off. "…Everybody wants a piece of the head TroubleTone. Mercedes is way too fierce to deny, and all the boys want up in her yard. You predicted nothing…that right there is all truth and fact!" The two clapped hands before turning around to witness the rest of the drama.

"That's why you dated Brittany?" Kitty asked Sam. "Because Tina was off the table?" She addressed the room. "Why not me…"

"Because you're a heinous, rampaging bitch," Artie declared…he still hadn't gotten over Kitty going to his Mom during Wonder-Week; nor had he forgiven the blonde for hating on 'Cedes after her performance review. He continued to berate the girl, saying "So now yo' hater-ade ain't tasting so sweet, and you think you can get on my Wifey's level?" and "Look at all my burly-ass former classmates; over there fighting for a taste of brown sugar while you finally figure out what 'lonely' smells like…" and most amusingly, a simple "fuck with that, Barbie," while the circus continued.

"Way to go Mike," Ryder complimented, as Jake and his brother both held up the "rock-on" sign. Even Finn nodded approvingly.

"Yeah way to go…away, Mike!" Jesse cut in. He'd forgotten how quickly things could escalate during New Directions confrontations, and had allowed himself to get caught up with all the others' rhetoric. Now he was back on track and moving across the room to bodily remove the boy's hands from Mercedes' person. The only thing that would hold him back at this point was if Chang moved faster, or if…

"Jesse, stop!" Mercedes made her request and he halted. The woman removed the arm from her shoulders and crossed over to where St. James stood. "It's okay… Please, don't do this!"

"Yeah…" Mike crowed. "You can't come between me and Mercedes…anyway, if you're her friend then you should want to see her happy!"

"That's not what Mercedes means, dumbass…" Jesse returned Mike's smirk. "…I thought Asians were supposed to be smart. When she said 'it's okay,' she meant that **WE **were okay. She and I!"

Mike moved closer to the duo and shoved Jesse before asking "What the hell do you mean, Mercedes and you?" He growled. "There is no Mercedes and you…"

"Not yet," Jesse shoved the boy back and prepared himself for the punch he knew he'd have to dodge when he finished his statements. "But she knows how I feel about her and she feels the same way. 'We're okay' means that Mercedes is finally ready to be with me…"

The swing from Mike's arm was no surprise, but Jesse was almost impressed by the amount of muscle the guy put behind it. If it had connected, Jesse would have been in serious pain; probably suffered a broken nose or fractured cheek. But Jesse avoided the fist, by just enough space for Mike's whole body to spin around comically. While Jesse laughed, the rest of the peanut gallery chimed in.

"Mercedes wants a guy who'll treat her like a princess and respect her talent," Sam crossed over to stand directly in front of Jesse. "You're just the prick who made fun of her and gave her solo to Rachel! 'Cedes don't want you…" Sam's Southern accent only made real appearances when he was angry or really happy. It was something none of the New Directions had heard all year long.

Looking Sam over, Jesse decided immediately that avoiding a fight with him would be really hard. Evans didn't look like the type to get into an altercation by shoving or punching his opponent. St. James had a feeling Sam Evans would full-body tackle him, just as soon as look at him. That didn't stop the man from speaking his piece, though.

"I may be a prick, but I'm the prick she lives with; the prick she trusts to be her backbone in LA." Jesse reached out for Mercedes' hand, who although shy, took it and blushed. "I'm Mercedes' roommate now that Puckerman has left her high and dry, and I'm her friend while you all are over 2000 miles away. I'm her biggest fan when the rest of you think she can't hack it in California…and I plan to be the boyfriend now that the rest of you aren't worthy Mercedes' time!"

There it was; the gauntlet was thrown down for all to see. Chaos erupted immediately. Sam, much as Jesse expected, proceeded to take a flying leap which resulted in Jesse being thrown unceremoniously to the ground. While the two tussled, Mike and Tina began to argue about disloyalty and trust. Artie rolled over and offered Mercedes his lap and a little bit of comfort…which she graciously took him up on. And Joe took the opportunity to admit to Ryder that he'd always had a soft spot for Samcedes; he'd been praying that the two would reunite soon. Kitty occupied herself complaining to Kurt about being ignored, while Marley, Unique, and Sugar prepared to school the blonde on proper respect for the thrall of Diva love.

The rest of the witnesses…Finn, Puck, Jake, and Blaine took seats and surreptitiously cheered Sam on. None of them necessarily believed Sam had any right to be fighting for Ms. Jones' honor…but Mike was preoccupied, and who wanted to see her end up with Jesse?

Nobody but the one who's opinion mattered most… Mercedes effectively ended the brawl with a piercing whistle blown between two of her fingers. Once all eyes were on her she demanded in a booming voice, "Hands off my man!"

Sam smirked, assuming Mercedes had been referring to himself. It was no secret that his last girlfriend had humiliated him right before catching a cab for the airport; so he was hoping to have impressed his ex by protecting her from the evil Jesse. He was surprised when she clarified, "I'm talking to you, Evans…" amid the sneers and snickers of Sugar, Unique, and Blaine. "…Jesse is my man now, and if you don't want me to help him tag-team your ass, you'll let the fuck, go!"

Sam jumped up immediately, and glowered at the boy he'd previously been pummeling. He did it reluctantly, but in truth, very quickly…Sam was no stranger the punch Mercedes could pack when truly pissed off. When she removed herself from Artie's embrace and finally stormed to where Jesse lay on the ground, Sam also made sure to remove himself from the area, so as not to further incite Mercedes' wrath…But he was lucky; Mercedes had no intention of pummeling the boy while her new love interest lay prone and bleeding on the floor.

"You okay?" She smiled into his grateful face and held out her hand. "Cause I can take this fool to the carpet; no problem…"

"I'm okay…" Jesse took the proffered palm, bounced up as animatedly as he could, then proceeded to grab Mercedes, bend her backwards, and kiss her soundly.

The rest of the room finally quieted down to watch the scene unfold. Some were enthralled by the boldness Jesse obviously inspired in Mercedes…Sam well-remembered the many times he'd begged his ex-girlfriend to sit with him or hold his hand in Glee, as well as all the times he'd been turned down. He gawked in awe as Mercedes kissed her former arch enemy…complete with tongue in front of the whole room!

Puck felt the same way, once he realized Jesse's had begun creeping downward; and now that he could see the man's hand fondling her posterior possessively. He'd lived in the same apartment with Mercedes, and had never even caught a glimpse of naked brown skin wrapped in a towel! Jesse obviously had looking as well as touching privileges, and Puck was equal parts offended and intrigued. The words, "go figure…" were written clearly, all over Puck's handsome face.

Mercedes' personal fan club; i.e. Sugar and Unique, were nothing but happy for their friend. They'd each grown extremely tired of the boys at McKinley, and were looking forward to the future, when they could meet and fall in love with real "men." This Jesse, who Unique hated as Wade and barely tolerated while wearing a dress, definitely qualified…and the girls were ecstatic that their Diva had found one for herself. It also has to be said that Unique and Sugar had just spent most of their school year watching Sam behave like an idiot for Brittany. So they each felt somewhat justified for giggling while the blonde got his just desserts.

While all this transpired around them, Jesse and Mercedes continued to kiss. After the initial lip-lock ended, Jesse pressed his lips to Mercedes, over and over again…planting smooches and pecks all over her face before finally settling back into the original embrace. Mercedes opened her mouth slightly, in order to deepen the kiss that was already setting her on fire. They caressed each other lightly, hands smoothing over clothing-covered flesh…in anticipation for the date when they could do the same without hindrance. Nether cared whether their audience approved or not…Jesse, because he never cared what others thought; and Mercedes, because these people were no longer her best friends. Jesse was. As they explored this new, but satisfying dimension to their relationship, Mercedes and Jesse tuned them all out. Still kissing…

Eventually lack of oxygen demanded that the couple break apart, gasping for air while looking deeply into each other's eyes. Then Mercedes adopted a wicked smile.

"Cocky Motherfucker…" she laughed. "…kissing me like that!"

Jesse wound his arm around her waist and they started making their way towards the door "You mad?"

She laughed; once again, he'd appropriated one of her favorite phrases. She returned with another one, "Bitch I might be…"

And together the couple left McKinley to explore their new love…

**The End**

* * *

**A/N: I know this is a Jesse-centric fic, but he deserved the ass-whupping. Sorry not sorry. **

**Also, I hate cliff-hangers, and I hope this doesn't qualify as one. I mean, it seems finished to me, maybe because I know what happens next in my head…but maybe some of you don't agree. **

**I guess if you guys are feeling unfulfilled and/or curious about how their love develops, let me know. I might be persuaded to devote a little time to writing an epilogue. **

**But that's not gonna be anytime soon. I still have to re-do major parts of my Mikecedes chapter of Prom Night. I also need to get into Chapter 14 of WIW. The Zilla is getting restless, and I don't want a sex shark mad at my ass. **

**Thanks for all the reviews, faves and follows! You guys are the best…**

**As always, much love**

**Kay**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I did it!**

**The third and final chapter is here! Think of it as an epilogue…set two years in the future. I put a little bit of smut in here, because that's what I do. But its surprisingly sweet too. If you squint your eyes a little.**

**Thank you Illy for the great suggestions. You know, it's gotten to the point where I actually feel a little disappointed if I don't see any red type on your edits. Because lately that stuff has been my favorite part of my updates. So good looking out. And Anni, thanks for reminding me not to leave important stuff out…I was so hung up on you-know-who's package (NO WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT VOLDEMORT) I forgot to address the other one. Good on you too…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or the characters of Glee.**

* * *

**July 3, 2015**

Mercedes Jones, much in the same manner as she did that January afternoon two years prior, briefly paused as she passed the room that had once belonged to Noah Puckerman. The space had changed quite a bit, and the woman truly enjoyed reveling in it whenever she got the chance. The walls were no longer standard-apartment issue white…but were now painted a pale-as-the-summer-sky blue. The same bed was in the exact same place, however it was now dressed in only the best…red and blue striped Ralph Lauren Home bedding, courtesy of a monster home furnishings sale in Jesse's favorite department store. The carpeted floor was now bedecked with a paisley area rug, and the windows now bore actual window treatments; as opposed to the bare blinds Puckerman had once preferred. Mercedes took a quick look around, stroked the dresser next to the door just like she did all those months ago, then continued down the hall to her own bedroom.

Before reaching the doorway, Mercedes smiled to herself; anxious to make it back into her own space and continue enjoying herself. Because today, unlike the time she'd arrived home and shrouded herself in self-pity while lamenting her horrible luck with roommates, Mercedes was not alone. She opened the door and grinned at each of the people sprawled across her still-gorgeous four poster bed in turn. Santana Lopez sat with her back against the left side of the headboard with her legs stretched out, left arm propped against a humongous fluffy body pillow that was dangerously close to falling off the edge and onto the floor. She reached out that hand as soon as Mercedes entered the room, and begged silently for the bowl of white cheddar cheese popcorn her friend had brought with her from the kitchen, newly replenished. Mercedes handed it over and placed a small kiss to her friend's forehead, which Santana pretended to wipe away before swatting her fellow TroubleTone's backside. After the bowl of snack food was safely out of her hands, Mercedes bent over once again to plant an equally small peck on the nose of her other fellow TroubleTone, Brittany Pierce. Britt's chin rested on her forearms, which were crossed underneath her body on top of the body pillow. The rest of her frame was sprawled lazily over Santana's legs, while her legs dangled in the air. Periodically the blonde would laugh, because Santana was prone to briefly removing her right hand from her fiancée's butt to tickle the long, tanned thighs that were bare in Britt's tiny shorts. The two responded to Mercedes' retrieval of their snackage with a chorus of "Thanks, Wheezy," and "Yeah, Mercedes…you rock!"

Mercedes retraced her steps, so that she could offer Unique, who lay on her side at Santana's feet, the pack of Reece's cups and one of the bowls of ice cream she'd also brought into the room. The trans woman immediately opened three of the orange and brown wrappers, and used her spoon to expertly break up the candy enough to incorporate into her bowl of Moose Tracks ice cream -because Unique never felt as though Ben and Jerry added enough for a girl to truly enjoy the Moose Tracks experience. Unique paused in her efforts only long enough to thank Mercedes and blow her friend a kiss.

Sitting on her bottom directly in front of Unique's belly was Sugar, who'd folded her legs Indian-style and was in the process of screwing the top of a bottle of cherry red nail polish back on tightly. When Mercedes made her way to the foot of the bed, Sugar reached over, so she could accept the dip she'd requested to accompany the bowl of chips she'd been hoarding from the rest of the girls. The gaze she shot Mercedes was both adoring and grateful, and before digging in she got up on her knees to give her good friend a huge hug. Then Sugar returned to her spot so she could enjoy her snack.

At the foot of the bed was Marley, who's head lay propped in the palm of her right hand; arm bent and supported by the elbow…while her right hand flipped through the pages of the bridal magazine she'd found underneath Mercedes' bed. Marley, who tried her best to eat as healthy as possible whenever she could, nonetheless put all dietary restrictions on hold, to commemorate occasions of this magnitude. The wiry brunette nodded in appreciation, because proceeded to hand her a large bowl of White Chocolate Almond flavored ice cream. After meticulously taking the time to spread a thin layer of Cocoa Puffs across the top, Marley dug right in.

Cuddled together against the right side of the headboard were Quinn Fabray and Lauren Zizes. Unlike the other women currently sharing a pillow, these two were good friends only, as opposed to long-time lovers back together at last. Quinn was a much less icy version of her teenaged self these days, and true to her newfound joie de vive, she now made many efforts towards embracing female companionship…which included all of the friendly affection that good friendships entailed. Quinn had decided long ago -around the time of Mr. Schuester's second wedding, actually- that she preferred lady kisses to male ones; however the only things she currently shared with Zizes were body heat, a tablet playing "Bridesmaids" on Netflix, and the bowl of Cheez-Its Mercedes had just topped up. Quinn placed the bowl in between her knees and grabbed a few, then reached between the legs of Zizes, where the bowl of mini-Snickers bars lived. The happy blonde picked out a bar, unwrapped it as fast as she could, then shoved it in her mouth right along with the crackers. Chewing vigorously around her mouthful, the girl managed to spit out a garbled "Thanks, Sissy," along with a piece or two of her concoction.

Zizes, who had also developed more of her sweet nature in the years since leaving McKinley, waited patiently for Mercedes to reach inside the waistband of her leggings for the box of peanut butter TastyCakes she'd been promised. Once her former client had handed them over, she reached out to give the short diva a fist bump, and giggled in a most girly manner when Mercedes leaned across Quinn, instead, to peck Zizes gently on the cheek. Before straightening up, Mercedes also nuzzled Quinn's nose with her own and giggled right along with her tall friend.

Finally, Mercedes placed the last of her burden, a plate of vegetarian egg rolls she'd heated up just for Tina Chang, into the waiting hands of the woman whose toenails Sugar had just painted. The expecting newlywed woman, whose pregnancy cravings demanded a constant supply of hot and savory dishes, paused briefly from her battle with Zizes; who was doggedly insisting that she'd promised Tina _**A**_ TastyCake… which for Lauren meant one single treat. However Tina, never one to back down from a confrontation, had no qualms about explaining why she felt entitled to both the cakes in the pack. Just as the argument reached its apex, Tina realized that her real snack was finally within arms reach; so she shot a brief glare in Lauren's direction, offered Mercedes a happy "Ooohh, thanks Cedes…" and dug in to her eggrolls. Finally, Mercedes got comfortable in the place directly behind Unique and wrapped her arms around her friend so she could cuddle into the taller girl's frame. After accepting the spoonful of the ice cream/candy combo that Unique offered over her own shoulder, Mercedes asked the room at large; "So what're we talking about?"

"You…" Zizes smirked. "…and the shit you and Berry's twin brother get up to in the sack!"

The room erupted in raucous laughter.

"Oh, not this again," Mercedes rolled her eyes while the rest of the group continued to shriek and gasp. "We haven't all been in the same room together since Tina's bachelorette party a year ago, and THIS is the best thing you guys can come up with to bond over tonight?"

"Hells Yeah!" Snixx crowed, rolling her neck and pointing. "You knew what the hell time it was when you invited us all over here, instead of letting us take you to Vegas…Sleepovers equal girl-talk, Bitch. and I _wants _my fill!"

"Yeah, Mercedes…" Tina mumbled around a mouthful of cake and Chinese appetizers. "…you guys grilled _me_ the night before_ I_ got married. Why should your hen night be any different?"

Mercedes furrowed her brow briefly, making the "Bride" crown that her friends had picked up from the party store shift a little; however, she didn't speak.

"Not to mention," Unique started, while wrapping Mercedes' hands more closely around her waist…she'd always loved basking in the warmth of her "godmother's" touch. "The fact that you never dish about the man's skills…which we all know means he's either putting it down, or making you mad. I could take a guess as to which one it is, but…"

"But we'd rather hear it from the horse's mouth," finished Quinn. "And it's only fair, Sissy…I mean, I told you all about that time I joined Brittana in their bed…"

Mercedes glowered. "Like I hadn't already seen the video you guys made online! Quinn…you didn't tell me that shit in the interest of full disclosure, anyway. That was just _your_ ass bragging about turning two freak-a-deeks out!"

Quinn playfully brushed imaginary dirt from her shoulder and popped her collar while Sugar took up the reins of the issue at hand.

"Well, Mercedes…_ I_ told you about the time I flew to Ireland for a quickie with Rory last year!" Sugar started. "And I never told anybody else, either…"

"Sugar, you know damn well you only told me that because you were still a high school junior and needed to use me as an alibi," Mercedes reminded her reproachfully. "You were pissy because you heard Artie was moving in with that girl in the wheelchair with the dump truck titties; and wanted to make yourself feel better with a transcontinental rebound booty call."

Sugar shrugged. "Well, Artie was my first…I never _expected _him to move on from me for real! Also, it's not my fault you're the only one my Daddy trusts with his precious daughter. Plus it was spring break, and worth every damn lie…"

"Oh yeah? Mercedes seemed proud of her fellow TroubleTone. "It was? Go Rory…"

"For sure," Sugar bragged. "I don't call him Lucky for no reason. Plus, I took Sweetie…you know that dog he bought me for V-Day back in 2012?"

Everybody nodded. "It was a real reunion!" Then Sugar turned bodily so she could get the conversation back on track. "Mercedes, you _were_ the only one I told about it at the time; so it still counts!"

"The last time you dished out any girl talk about you and Vanity Smurf was when Berry weaseled Puck's spare key and alarm code outta him, and then snuck into your crib so she could try to seduce his ass away from you." Satan reminded Mercedes, laughing her ass off. "And you only did that shit because you'd just got through beating the bitch's face in and she was still unconscious, and…"

"…and you wanted to yell some more so you called us up on a six-way call," finished Britt. "Then you went to Lima University and told every girl in the dorms to stay away from the dude crashing with Finn Hudson, because he had 'pubic hair mange.' Told them he used to have a full head of hair but the 'sex germs' had done so much damage to his scalp that the only way he could wear his hair was the weird hair-hat he was sporting since he let the 'hawk go."

"If I'm not mistaken," Quinn started. "Puck had to start back screwing MILFs after that; right, Mercedes?" she laughed, while Mercedes nodded proudly.

"So, I'm saying Diva; we've waited patiently and this is long overdue…" Unique turned around partway to plead with her friend. "…so give us some dirt! Like, is he some kinda huge freak-a-deek when the lights go out?"

"Unique!" Mercedes pretended to be shocked.

"Whatever, Ms. Jones; I wanna know, too" agreed Zizes. "I bet he likes for you to tie him up and shit; 'ole Liberace-face looks like the type to be into having a Black Domme making him her bitch…"

"Right?" Tina concurred. "I bet he makes her sit on his face while he licks her honey pot until he can't breathe and passes out…"

"Definitely," Sugar commented next. "Can't you just see him on all fours, crawling around on a leash while Mercedes lays into him with a whip?" She turned her head in a circle to see if the rest of the group agreed with her.

"For sure…" Quinn replied. "And I bet he likes to watch it afterward…so where's the camera and tripod, Sissy?" Quinn bent over the side of the bed and searched for the evidence until she nearly fell off. Lauren caught her good friend just in time, then continued.

"If there ain't no camera equipment in here, then they do it while watching themselves in the mirror…" she asserted.

"Oh, I can see that…" Unique put in. "…cause St. James is all about the vanity. I bet they took the mirror off the ceiling right before we showed up!"

"You guys!" Mercedes was laughing hard. "I have a CANOPY bed!"

"Please, Re-Re…" Santana rolled her eyes and shot Mercedes a 'save that shit for somebody who don't know' face. "Don't act like that thing don't come down!"

"I can see the mirror," Marley was finally done being shocked by the way everyone had confronted Mercedes, and had decided to chime in. "But I think he's more of the type to hang one on the headboard…So he can see his "love-faces" all close up."

Quinn and Lauren turned around to inspect the ornate wooden furniture for small holes left there by tacks or pieces of Velcro that could be used for such a purpose, while Britt nodded.

"And you _were_ super nosy about me and Mike's sex life…" Tina pointed out. "…I even answered all your questions, despite the fact that he tried to get with you two years ago!"

"Tina, I don't have to explain to you that Mike only did that because you two lose your mind when you're not in the same place…" Mercedes replied reasonably. "…besides, if he hadn't hit on me that day, you two wouldn't be married right now!'

Tina shrugged in acceptance…it had, after all been Mercedes rejection that prompted Mike to reestablish his relationship with her.

"I know I started all this out of nosiness, Ms. Jones…" Lauren brought the subject back around to the original topic. "…but I really _do_ get why you get off so much on keeping your relationships a secret. The less people that know, the more comfortable you are; we all see that…"

"Not to mention all the drama involved with the Glee boys and Jesse's history with New Directions," added Quinn. "However, we're all older now…even the 'newbies' have graduated; and none of are still living in Lima. This is a bachelorette party, for fuck's sake; your comfort level shouldn't get in the way of us having fun!"

"So on tonight…your last night as a single girl; you owe yourself a little bit of female bonding. Just enough to let your homegirls know we aren't losing you to the dark side…" joked Sugar.

"Yeah, besties before testes, Bitch!" Santana finished.

Mercedes sat up and threw her hands up in the air before relenting. "Fine," she told them. "I'll tell you all about the first time Jesse and I made love. But that's it…and you're all gonna have to be satisfied with that, okay?"

Everyone immediately agreed, and Mercedes began to describe the day about 8 months into her relationship with Jesse; when they finally took that step. And as she talked, the woman visualized what happened as vividly as if it were only yesterday…

* * *

"_Please?" Mercedes asked, running her hands along the well-sculpted abs underneath Jesse's peach Henley tee._

"_No!" he replied, as he removed her hands for the fourth time that afternoon._

"_Pleeeaaassseee?" Mercedes pleaded, as she placed her hands on his side and attempted to move them lower. _

"_Not yet, Mercedes…" Jesse asserted, taking her hands away once again._

"_Why not?" she whined, while trying to get in between his skin and his waistband._

"_Because we're not ready yet, and I don't want to rush it…"_

"_Jesse," Mercedes fought the urge to shriek, clenching her tiny hands into angry fists that he'd captured in his own beefy palms. "When are you going to stop vagina-blocking me?"_

_Jesse chuckled, and answered lightly, "When I think you're ready…" He kissed Mercedes deeply, looked into her eyes for a second or two and then let her wrists go before continuing. "I know how I want our first time to go, and when I'm sure you can handle it, I'll make the first move…"_

"_How will you know?" she pouted, and crossed her arms over her chest._

"_I'll know you're ready, when you quit referring to all your other exes in such glowing terms…" Jesse replied._

"_What do exes have to do with this?" Mercedes asked, confused. "I'm saying, Baby…I don't want them…I want you!"_

"_I know," he allowed. "But all of your sexiest memories are keyed to another man, and I totally refuse to compete with a ghost." He grinned into his girlfriend's face. "What can I say? I'm conceited…and I want only 'me' on your mind."_

"_Then take him off my mind!" Mercedes finally exploded. "Aren't you confident enough in your own swagger to believe you can make me forget the past?" she cajoled. _

"_I am," Jesse replied simply. "But if I __**make**__ you, then you might resent me."_

"_Will the resentment come on the heels of a few amazing orgasms?" Mercedes asked. "Because I gotta tell you, that's the easiest kind of resentment to ignore and not act on. Just give me the chance…"_

"_Fine," Jesse got up and in one motion pulled Mercedes into a lying position beneath himself. "But don't say I didn't warn you…You already know I'm an ass, and don't give half a fuck about convention." He paused briefly to kiss her lips and paw at her breasts roughly, causing Mercedes to moan involuntarily. "So don't say I didn't warn you later on… Be warned: I'm about to be unnecessarily cruel, to give you exactly what you want!"_

_He bent down and kissed his girlfriend of almost nine months once more, crushing her lips beneath his while swiftly removing her blouse by ripping the buttons wide open and shoving the two halves open. He used his palms to caress the skin of her soft belly gently, then immediately flicked open the front clasp of her bra with two deft fingers. Jesse tweaked both her nipples roughly, and surprised Mercedes by demanding, "Tell me how my hands are different from Sam's!"_

_Mercedes, who'd been enjoying his attentions immensely, was momentarily taken aback and asked, "Boy what the hell?"_

"_You're the one who wanted me to fuck you silly, Ms. Jones," Jesse explained. " And I'll be damned if you're gonna let me inside your body while comparing me mentally to another guy. So if you want this to happen, you'll tell me about every single way you've ever been touched, and allow me to make you forget the name of whoever was responsible. By the time you go to sleep, they'll be no room inside that pretty little head for anybody but me…and you'll wake up tomorrow thinking, 'Sam, who'?" he concluded._

"_Boy, you are out of your motherfucking mind if you think for one minute that I'm gonna let you…"_

"_Fine," Jesse allowed himself one last pinch at Mercedes' chest, then he plopped down beside her nonchalantly, burying his disappointment. Jessie honestly wanted Mercedes as much as she wanted him, and it was killing him to wait…but he knew that he needed to handle this his way or doubts would always flood his mind. "Wasn't my idea anyway," he reminded his girlfriend, before reaching into his bedside table to take out a magazine. _

_Mercedes lay there flabbergasted and frustrated. She'd been truly excited to explore this new dimension to their relationship, and was overjoyed by the thought that today would FINALLY be the day…but the woman hadn't even dished about her sexual past with her girlfriends. What exactly was Jesse playing at?_

"_Fool, what the hell is your problem?" Mercedes couldn't help but to voice her concerns, Diva-Style._

_Jesse flipped though the pages, looking for all the world like he couldn't care less whether he screwed her silly or not. Actors…"My problem is that I usually have sex with girls who don't have any real friends. They go through life spending time with the same people they also compete with on a daily basis. All my past indiscretions were the type of female that couldn't care less about anyone from their past; and I just realized that I like it that way. But you have this whole inner circle that stays completely up your ass, and hell; some of them admit to literally worshipping it…That same inner circle includes two ex-boyfriends, one of them who took your virginity, and I for one would like to avoid the worst of the awkwardness all of that entails…"_

_Mercedes nodded._

"_So if you and I are going to be better and last longer than all of that, then I need for you to see me as the best. I have to KNOW I'm the best…how the hell am I going to know I'm the best, if you don't give me the blow-by-blow?" he waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "I need the ego boost, and you need the attention. So open that beautiful mouth to let me know what I'm competing against…and I'll make sure it's worth your while."_

_Mercedes glared again._

"_If you can't do that, then I'll go back to my magazine and you can just reach under the mattress and find Dr. Buzzy Buzz; he doesn't give damn about your past..."_

_Mercedes took a second to think. "So if I play your sick game, does that mean I can put Buzz out to pasture?" Mercedes asked completely uncaring as to how he'd found out about her special "toy." Her only concern was whether her boyfriend could do a better job than the thing; and whether or not Buzz could go back into retirement. "And we never have to have this conversation again?"_

"_Sure," he shrugged. "Not unless you want to. So what say you?"_

"_Fine," Mercedes relented and lay back down. "Let's go…I'm ready, right now."_

"_Okay, great…" Jesse kissed Mercedes on the lips once more; then resumed playing with her nipples. "…So how did Sam touch the girls?" he asked as he fingered and tugged at them roughly. "Talk fast, Baby; you and I have a lot of work to do…"_

_Mercedes side-eyed her boyfriend for being such a dictator, but eventually admitted to herself that she had zero intention of disobeying him; regardless of how he asked. Because his hands were positively magical…_

"_In a lot of ways, my ex was the exact opposite of you," she quickly responded. "Sam's hands are rough and callous, but he touched me softly and gently. Your hands are as soft as mine are, but you're using them more forcefully," she finished her reply._

"_Which do you like better?" Jesse murmured in her ear, wickedly. It as a_ _test of sorts, meant to determine how truthful his girlfriend was from the very beginning. _

"_I don't know yet," she replied honestly. "But what you're doing feels really, really good…"_

"_Good," Jesse was pleased and rewarded his lady with a small peck to the side of her neck. "And when Evans' hands were too busy to pay you any attention?"_

"_He was all about the soft sucks, and fluttery licks…lots of gentle kisses. I liked them, too." Mercedes let him know. _

_Then Jesse bent his head further to deliver several nibbles directly to her nipples, followed by short flicky licks and finally, forceful hungry sucks. And he did it over and over again until she moaned out loud. Nibble, lick, suck…nibble lick, suck…_

"_Ooohhh," breathed the woman. _

"_That's what I wanted to hear," Jesse let her know. He paused briefly, to raise Mercedes' skirt and tear her lacy briefs away unceremoniously…tossing them to the side in a manner that suggested he couldn't care less about how long she'd had them, how much she adored them, or how much they cost. When Mercedes opened her mouth to complain, Jesse shot her an unconcerned look._

"_Whoa! Let me stop you right there…" Jesse informed her. "…I don't care; so don't even bother saying it."_

_Mercedes shut her mouth and resumed glaring, right as Jesse began using his lips on her chest… hands creeping ever lower and lower. _

"_Did Evans like kissing your tummy?" Jesse asked as he peppered her skin with kisses and traveled towards her belly button. "Did he make the most of it?"_

"_I never let him…" Mercedes whimpered. "I was a lot shyer, and way more self conscious about myself back then..."_

"_Dumbass…" Jesse paused long enough to make eye contact with Mercedes. "You were a dumbass for thinking it, and he was an even bigger dumbass for letting you get away with it." Then he resumed tasting the underside of her boobs, the fleshy softness covering her ribcage, the expanse of delicious skin on her sides, and concave portion of her navel. "He missed out…what about lower?"_

"_Sam was good at it…" Mercedes admitted." Really good…"_

"_Sam was good at what, exactly?" Jesse taunted. "Tell me what he was good at, 'Cedes…"_

"_Sam was good at making me come like that," she told him forthright. "Specifically, he was good with his tongue."_

"_Just his tongue?" Jesse asked incredulously, still kissing her warm flesh. "With his big ass mouth you should be in here praising every damn tooth in his head right now. He should have been using his entire face to make love to you. Tell me how he'd start…"_

"_Slow," Mercedes answered, becoming more and more excited with every heated word spoken. "He'd lick me slowly and avoid my clit long enough to get me totally hot."_

"_Fuck that," Jesse retorted. "That's not me at all…So get ready to feel the wrath."_

_And without any other preamble; the man scooted down until he was face level with Mercedes Jones' nether regions, used his thumbs to hold her labia open, then attacked her clitoris purposefully… licking and sucking simultaneously. Jesse used his neck to maneuver himself around her sex-charged flesh; pressing his face into her, then retreating slightly before repeating the action…shaking his head in a side-to-side motion before nodding up and down. Jesse rotated his neck, and sucked her in more deeply with each roll of her hips; the entire time using his tongue to circle, flick and twirl her clit purposefully. His mouth was wet; sloppy even, and it was no wonder that Jesse's girlfriend was inundated with sensation and flushed with enjoyment from the second he introduced his face to her sex. In fact, Mercedes tried valiantly not to react, so as to not bait his head up. But she couldn't hold back the groans, wails and deep exhales for anything in the world. _

"_You're wet aren't you?" Jesse asked with her tiny bundle of nerves still resting between his lips. "I don't even have to touch your pussy- hole to know. I can smell it…you're gushing aren't you?"_

"_You can find out for yourself you know…" Mercedes snapped. "You have ten fucking fingers…"_

"_Screw that…" Jesse teased, tongue moving steady and steady lower. "That's cheating; and anyway I want to TASTE your cream…not feel it all over my hands." And with that, Jesse proceeded to take the tongue he'd formed into a darty point, and used it to trace the inside of her walls determinedly. His stabby motions probably should have been uncomfortable for Mercedes, and sent her cringing away from him in discomfort. But Jesse knew what he was doing…he'd made sure that his lover was so very primed and ready for the big finish, that his hurried and forceful movements made Mercedes squeal in delight and anticipation. Smiling around his mouthful, Jesse introduced his tongue to her hole, and proceeded to fuck her silly with the super-slick digit. He pressed in and moved out quickly over and over again, only deigning to manipulate her clit with his slippery thumbs after she'd let out a pleading wail._

"_Shit, Man…" she moaned. "Just shit…"_

_Jesse's mouth was too occupied to reply, but he smirked and Mercedes could swear she felt his lips form a smile. As he shoved his tongue deeper inside her walls and expertly used his fingers to strum and walk all over her clit, Mercedes felt the warming of her abdomen and the quickening in her belly that told her she was close._

"_Oh my God," she groaned, undulation her hips uncontrollably. When the climax came it was more intense than anything she'd ever felt. Jesse took her orgasm as permission to finally treat his girlfriend's lower regions with the utmost of care. He relaxed the hold his fingers held on her clit, removed his tongue from heaven, and began pressing warm smooches and soft licks into her flesh. Gone were the anxious, determined strokes of the tongue; they were replaced by gentle swipes meant to remove all traces of the juices she'd released, while at the same time urging her through the last tremors of her climax. Then he wrapped his lips back around the tiny bud of sensation and teased her as she spasmed. Eventually, Jesse asked, still attached to her nub, "Good?"_

_Mercedes nodded, "Good…" Her breathing was still labored._

"_So, which do you prefer?" Jesse continued, still sucking gently. It seemed as though Jesse took multitasking far beyond the simple claim of being a "talented triple threat." It was clear to Mercedes that he enjoyed exercising his ability to please her and talk at the same time. "Being strummed like the strings of a guitar, or plucked like the keys of a piano?" He asked, referring to both his own and Sam Evans' instrument of choice._

"_Plucked," Mercedes gasped, clutching at her chest. "Definitely plucked…is it my turn now?" Mercedes had a feeling that if she didn't take some control over she and Jesse's lovemaking soon he was liable to call all the shots now, and in the future as well._

_He shook his head, deftly denying Mercedes exactly what she wanted. "Not yet. This is my show." Jesse came up briefly to kiss her with his lust-encrusted lips before returning to his spot. "And I'm not done with you yet…You need to see that your body prefers my touches to anybody else's…"_

_So he resumed tasting, licking, tongue-flicking, and nibbling at Mercedes, until she'd climaxed a second time and begged him to stop._

"_Fine…" Jesse relented and stood up to remove his clothing."…but we're not done here yet. Not even close… You'll pass out eventually, then I'll wake you up with my tongue." He tossed his clothing to the side and stood on his knees between her still-open thighs. "Tell me about Evans' dick…"_

"_It was long and fat." Mercedes let him know truthfully and quickly, anxious to resume making love to her boyfriend._

"_How long and how fat?" Jesse asked interestedly while positioning himself at her warm and wet opening. "Don't be shy, I wanna know…"_

"_At least nine inches long and as fat around as my wrist," she replied. "I guess you could say he was really blessed…"_

"_And I bet he 'made love' to you all slow and careful, right?" Jesse asked disdainfully, while rolling his eyes. When she nodded, he went on. "Because you should know right now; that's not my style at all." That's when he pushed inside his girlfriend completely with one long thrust, all the way to the hilt. Mercedes gasped, and Jesse pulled out to finish his thought. "I'm smaller, by about an inch and a half…" He pressed into her waiting and anticipating core once again. "…he's probably got me in girth, too…" Jesse retreated by moving his hips swiftly. "But I'm not into all that slow grind bullshit." In. "You need to know that your pussy belongs to me…" Out. "How in the hell are you supposed to know I'm home, unless I bang the door wide open?" In. "Unlike your ex, I know I got you wet enough to make this easy on you." Out. "And I'm gonna take full advantage of my hot girlfriend's warm and juicy pussy." In. "Plus, don't you feel me right behind your clit?" Mercedes nodded, as Jesse entered and retreated once again. "I'm curved and I probably hit your G-spot. Can you squirt?"_

"_I don't… I don't know," Mercedes moaned, anxious to feel him inside her again. He obliged. _

"_We're about to find out; turn over, Baby." Jesse demanded as he pulled out a final time and flipped his woman over effortlessly._

"_OOOOh!" Mercedes groaned as she felt her man enter her from behind; up on all fours had been a faborite position of hers for quite some time. However, she let out a surprised squeal when Jesse used one of his hands to smack her on the backside as hard as he could._

"_Evans like to spank your booty?" Jesse asked conversationally while still pumping and spanking. "He take advantage of all of this?" he asked, punctuating his question with another spank._

"_No," Mercedes choked out. "He patted me sometimes fully clothed; liked my ass for sure…but no spanks."_

"_Good," Jesse declared, smacking her again on the same cheek. "It's what I do…get used to it!"_

"_Could you maybe do the other one, too?" Mercedes begged. She really wanted to feel his hands on all of her body, in whatever way he liked._

"_Nah…" He answered. "…Not until you scream my name." He pushed in and retreated, smacking her butt loudly the entire time. He used one hand to hold her hips steady, and ground into her backside rhythmically for quite some time. His hand was sore, and her bottom was turning red; but still Jesse kept going. _

"_Shit, Jesse…" Mercedes yelled. _

"_That'll do…: Jesse snarked. Then he proceeded to punish the other cheek. "Does this feel good? Do you like it when I'm rough?"_

"_You're so good at this…" she moaned. "…Baby, you feel so good…"_

"_Damn right…" He kept going. While Mercedes writhed in pain and pleasure, Jesse slowly introduced his fingers to her vagina, stretching her hole gently while continuing to fuck her relentlessly. "Need to wet my fingers up…" When she showed signs of beginning to come around them, Jesse pulled out his member, leaving only his fingers there to play. "I'm gonna use my mouth on your asshole now; and if you like it, my fingers are next…"_

_He wasted no time in starting to lick her backdoor, using the slick wetness of his tongue and soft suction from his lips to acclimate his woman to the new sensation. When her hips began to undulate, he removed his fingers from her pussy and started to probe her exit-only hole. Still licking and kissing, Jesse asked, "You like it?" To which Mercedes replied, "Fuck..." Her boyfriend treated the moan as a request and slid his middle finger inside the puckered hole. When he felt her walls loosen and relax, the ring finger soon followed. _

"_Good girl!" Jesse complimented. "You'll be ready for me back here before you know it…" In the meantime he scissored the two slim fingers in and out of her hole carefully, the whole time licking and nibbling at her buttcheeks. When Mercedes seemed close to having some sort of eruption, Jesse stopped again. "No assgasms for you today, Missy…that's a lesson for another day. Lay down."_

_Mercedes lowered herself onto her bed and waited for her next instructions. Jesse nonchalantly reentered her and ground himself against Mercedes curves over and over again. He used those two fingers to caress the hole he'd just probed lightly. He kissed and nibbled angry red hickeys into her soft flesh. Jesse made sure his hands formed imprints in his girlfriend's pliable skin. By the time she released another wave of cream onto his manhood, her body had been marked by his passion again and again. "What's better?" the man asked wearing an evil grin. "Evans gets his excercise holding a football and chasing sweaty guysl, I get mine bending women over on a ballet barre…which one do you enjoy more?"_

"_The barre…" Mercedes squeaked. The orgasm had been really intense and she was proud of herself for being able to speak at all. "…most definitely the barre…"_

"_Good," Jesse crowed, before flipping his girlfriend back onto her back. The man immediately busied himself, raising Mercedes' legs up in the air and stretching her body so that they could be bent backwards. When Mercedes' knees were pretty much parallel with the sides of her head, he mounted and entered her once again. "Not done with you yet, though."_

_Then Jesse proceeded to whisper softly in his girlfriend's ear while plundering her body over and over. He moved his narrow hips back and forth fluidly, the entire time describing to his girlfriend all of the things they'd experiment with sexually in the months and years to come. First, Jesse explained to Mercedes that he couldn't wait to tie her to the bed and tease her for hours before allowing her to find release. He described the toys he would purchase and use on her while she lay there; powerless to stop his ministrations. Jesse whispered brusquely about the chains, collars, and restraints he'd employ to immobilize Mercedes as he played with her lush and overstimulated body. He even promised to film it, and later on, force her to watch Jesse play with his woman to his hearts' content. When Jesse described the day when he'd send the video to her ex, the woman found herself once more in the throes of an amazing orgasm; one he couldn't help but to follow her into… just as Jesse finally removed himself from Mercedes' overworked body one last time, he promised her sleepily, "You're still gonna wake up with my face in your cunny. So rest up Baby…you're gonna need it!" before allowing rest to finally take over his entire body. _

* * *

As Mercedes' story came to an end, she shook her head to release herself from her reverie, then looked around the room to find all of her best friends watching her incredulously. Santana was the first to speak.

"Damn Aretha…" the Latina bombshell spoke in awe. "…I mean; just, wanky!"

"Nah, Bitch," was Unique's response. "Wanky don't even begin to describe the hellacious-ness of that story," she continued. "And I could tell that chile was more than likely a fool in the sheets; based solely on the fact that he just _looks_ like the type to sit around daydreaming about freaky shit…"

Everyone in the room nodded in agreement.

"…but Sista-Gurl…" Unique looked Mercedes in the eye. "…you been holding out!"

"No wonder you like to keep your sex life to yourself," Marley took up where Unique and Santana had left off. "I'd be scared to tell anybody about that too…at least until I was sure they weren't the type to try and find out firsthand!"

"Right?" Tina asked around a large mouthful of Unique's abandoned ice cream. "Especially in the circle of friends _we _belong to!"

"So is that how it always is between you two?" Quinn asked curiously, a little bit of concern showing behind her question. "All rough and domineering like that?"

"Pretty much…" Mercedes shrugged. "...Jesse likes to be in control, and it's fun to let him have it." She pointed behind Quinn's head. "And since you guys guessed so much about it already, I'll even answer your nosy ass questions. The mirror you were looking for? Check behind the headboard."

Quinn got up and slid a huge rectangular, ornately framed mirror from behind the huge oak piece of furniture.

"We slide the mattress towards the footboard a little then prop the mirror on the floor between the mattress and the headboard." Mercedes explained.

"What if you crack it by banging around in bed?" Britt asked, interestedly. "You'd end up with seven years of bad luck…"

"Been there, done that," again, Mercedes let her know. "And trust; every stroke was well worth the seven years." Then she turned to Santana, saying, "The handcuffs and ties are in the nightstand, right next to you and your Boo." Santana pulled a variety of regulation-looking as well as fluffy novelty pairs of handcuffs, a handful of restraints and dog-collar type apparatuses, and several neckties. After she passed them around for further inspection, she delved deeper into the drawer to uncover several silky, sheer scarves.

"What the fuck are those for?" Zizes laughed.

"Jesse's birthday," Mercedes replied. "I took a belly dancing class and performed a 'Dance of the Seven Veils' type of thing as a surprise for him; ended up tied to the bed afterward," Mercedes giggled. Then she told the room at large, "The camera and tripod are locked in the closet and before you ask…no, you cannot see the movies!"

While most of the room wilted, Sugar –who'd been agog and stupefied since Mercedes started describing that long-ago day- finally asked, "Okay who are you and what have you done with my leader?" The recent graduate was genuinely shocked by the things she'd just learned. "And what the frack was all that stuff about Sam?" She shook her red head. "Why would Jesse wanna know all of that? Is he nutso or something?"

Mercedes shook her head, "No, I don't think so…" Then she reached over to tickle Sugar's foot. "But even if he is, I honestly don't care..."

Santana, Unique, and Lauren laughed.

"But do you really enjoy doing those things, Sissy?" Quinn asked quietly, voice still full of concern. Quinn obviously had some conflicting thoughts concerning what she'd just learned about her sister's sex life. "Because bringing up your ex seems a little manipulative to me…"

"How's that any more manipulative than when Trouty stole my girl from 'ole Stache?" Santana asked. "Or when he attempted to get in your panties with that 'something, something' bullshit, or that time he tried to claim his right to fuck Britt after they got fake married; even though at the time she had zero intentions of giving him any of her cookies?" Sam was still a sore spot for the Lima Heights native.

"Wait, that really happened?" Sugar asked Brittany.

"Yeah…" the tall blonde nodded. "…I told Sam that I liked kissing his lady lips, and that he could get to second base if he made Angelina Jolie's voice while we did it; but I was saving my cookies for when I fell in love again…"

Santana nodded appreciatively.

"…That didn't stop Sam from trying to get it in on our 'wedding night,' though," Brittany explained. "So I kicked him in the nuts, he apologized, and we never had that problem again…"

"The way I heard about it, is; Evans tried to convince Rainbow Brite here it was her wifely duty or some shit," Zizes added. Because of her inherent nosiness and AV club skills, Lauren had never missed much McKinley Glee gossip. Even after she left the team, they were still on her radar until graduation. And she didn't like what she'd heard any more than Satan had.

"When I heart about that fuckery I almost brought my ass back to Lima to use my razor blade on his ashy little dick!" Santana growled.

"The only reason Santana never did is because I told her Sam only went there because he was still sad about Mercedes leaving," Britt shrugged. "He didn't really get over her until after she hooked up with Jesse."

"Speaking of which; what the fuck is it with you blondies wanting all up on Chaka Kahn's big booty?" Santana addressed Quinn again. "Cause didn't you ask her out on a date one time?"

"So what?" Quinn blushed. "We're not real sisters!" She grumbled softly. "And anyway, I like breasts. Lauren…" she leaned over playfully and cuddled once more into Zizes' chest. "…are you sure you're not feeling 'experimental' yet?"

"Can it with the white girl shit, Fabray…" Lauren joked. "…You know spending all my time with dudes made me exempt from all that nonsense. Besides, I'm still strictly dickly and trying to get up on Teen Jesus. One of these days I'm gonna separate that dude from his Bible and his pants at the same damn time!" Lauren punched her fist into her palm in a determined fashion while Quinn shook her head reproachfully.

Santana's had was also shaking, as she mumbled something about Quinn and sister-incest. Then she rallied. "I swear that shit had me worried that at some point Britt was gonna get over me and go try and get up on Ru…" she gestured to Unique, who shot her the bird.

"Don't think I wasn't checking her out…" Britt joked while playfully stroking Unique's hand on the bed.

Unique simply rolled her eyes and mumbled, "creeper ass…" under her breath.

"Back to the subject at hand…" interrupted Marley. "…Santana is right." Her former mentor nodded approvingly. "What Jesse did is no better or no worse than when Mike tried to use Mercedes to get over Tina."

Tina nodded in agreement. "Or when Mr. Schuester tried to steal Miss Pillsbury from Dr. Carl, or all those times Coach Sylvester made the Unholy Trinity sabotage New Directions. Actually, that stuff was probably worse because they were adults!"

"Not to mention, everything Rachel ever did in Glee," added Britt.

"Plus, we were pretty big bitches back in high school, too, Quinn," Santana finished. "Sometimes friends manipulate friends…it doesn't make them bad, necessarily; just bad right then," the singer finished philosophically.

"They're all right," Mercedes finally responded to Quinn. "Jesse _was_ wrong for using my memories of another guy to further etch himself into my heart; plus, he took a really big risk. It could have completely backfired on him. But I can't complain, because in the end it worked like hell…"

"If it's like that, then sign me up too!" Unique crowed. "I wonder why none of our boys ever tried me?" she pondered.

"Didn't you Catfish Baby Finn one time?' Satan wondered out loud. "Cause if you did, that shit makes _you_ the predator…" She smiled her special sex shark smile. "…welcome home, my child!"

"But anyway," Tina interrupted so she could say something she'd specifically stopped eating to say. "Thanks Mercedes…for sharing and for throwing such a great party. This was a perfect thing for me, and Baby Chang totally appreciates your insisting that we get drunk on junk food instead of booze!"

"What did Jesse do tonight?" Marley asked, curiously. "Its weird that all our boys aren't with him…weird that one of us is marrying outside the clique." She shrugged her shoulders.

"Who you telling?" Mercedes giggled. "But it feels right to me, somehow. That Glee wedding I dreamed of for all those years?"

Her oldest friends nodded.

"Well, it would feel like a stranger's wedding to me nowadays," Mercedes explained.

"All the crew will be there…" Santana reminded her friend. "…they just won't be groomsman or anything. And they have to watch Jesse's fruity little friends from ballet class escort us into the wedding and dance with us at the reception, too. Now ask me if I give a damn…"

"You're right…" Mercedes conceded, before answering Marley's question. "…I guess I ought to be flattered they're all still coming. Jesse and his attendants, including Kurt, had dinner at some sushi bar/steakhouse this afternoon. Then they went to a matinee showing of that movie Jesse had a cameo in earlier this year…you know, the one where he actually had a speaking line before he died? With Tatum Channing avenging his death? It was like "Stomp The Yard," but with White folks…"

Everybody nodded.

After that everybody went to Improv Night at some comedy club in Westwood, and later on they'll hit a few bars and go pass out somewhere." She finished.

"How in the hell did Ladyface end up in St. James' wedding party?" Laruen asked,

"One of his guys broke his leg in tap class…Kurt fit the suit." Mercedes explained. "Plus, Jesse knew if he didn't put him on his side then my boy would have ended up a bridesmaid, anyway."

"Are you happy, Sissy?" Quinn inquired. "Is it going to bother you if marrying Jesse means you won't see they guys as much, or if the rest of us get together and nobody invites your husband because he doesn't get along with the Glee-boys?" She seemed worried. "Be honest…"

"No," Mercedes answered simply. "Don't worry…I have my girls. I'll be fine." And with that declaration, the ladies settled in for a night of lady chats and snacks…in anticipation of Mercedes St. Jones' big day.

**The End**

* * *

**A/N: Okay! Its done…I liked it way too much, to be honest. I hate Jesse…why am I giving him such a serious stroke game and all this swagger?**

**Oh well. I hoped you liked it, and erchills…never again, Dude. Still love you though!**

**Kay**


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